Data centers in Okeechobee County, Florida: 1 project mapped

Imagery: Esri, Maxar

Okee-One, the data center campus Indian River State College planned on the 205-acre former Florida School for Boys site off U.S. 441 in Okeechobee, has been stopped. On April 23, 2026, county commissioners removed a "Special Technology Opportunity Centers" land-use category from proposed changes to the county's comprehensive plan, closing the route for Okee-One and for turning farmland in the south of the county into technology land. The state withdrew its support, and officials said the college is expected to return nearly half of its $1.5 million state grant.

The college had pitched a 9-to-10-megawatt data center that would double as a training lab, "the nation's most sustainable data campus," as president Timothy Moore put it. Residents did not trust it; references to the AI chipmaker Nvidia in a February presentation convinced many that "workforce training" was cover for a larger AI hub. A petition organized by longtime resident Wyatt Deihl gathered more than 3,000 signatures, more people than voted for the commissioners, he said. "Let's not be hypocrites and stand here and pass proclamations about water management and then invite these creatures in," said resident Shelly Glazer.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed the land over to the college in June 2023. The reform school closed in 2011 after unmarked graves were found; a 2015 investigation found them at the Okeechobee campus too, and 55 unmarked graves were found in all. After the backlash, the Florida Department of Commerce accused the college of "falsehoods and pretenses about energy and water," a spokesperson told the Tampa Bay Times.

Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.