Clarksdale Data Center, Clarksdale, Mississippi

On March 23, 2026 Clarksdale's Board of Mayor and Commissioners rezoned 648 acres between the Sunflower River, U.S. 278, Tallahatchie Street and the Roundyard neighborhood from commercial and agricultural to light industrial, the first step in what the city calls "The Data Center Project." The vote did not approve a data center, and its capacity, layout and end user are unknown. Clarksdale is the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi, near the Arkansas line.

The rezoning application, filed in December 2025 by local surveyor Terry Smith for three landowners, did not mention a data center, according to court records. Residents' complaint says Jon Levingston of the Crossroads Economic Partnership spoke for the project at the planning commission without naming its use, citing a nondisclosure agreement; the commission recommended approval 4 to 2.

Any developer must pay a one-time $5 million impact fee, cover utility upgrades, obtain emissions permits and keep a buffer of at least 1,000 feet from residential districts. Curtis Boschert of Clarksdale Public Utilities said a data center could bring a tenfold increase in demand on the city's grid.

Hundreds came to a March public forum, and most speakers opposed the project. "We got plenty of companies who come to Clarksdale, get their tax cuts, and stay around long enough to get paid back and leave," said resident Voneshay Walker. About 15 residents have since sued the city, alleging the public was not properly told the land's intended use; the case is pending.

It still has to go back before the Planning Commission and the board before construction could begin, according to an official close to the matter.