Lubbock Council Approves Land Annexation Amid Resident Push for Data Center Moratorium

On Tuesday the Lubbock City Council approved the annexation of an 8-acre lot near a rail line and rezoned a 52-acre parcel opposite Interstate 27 from single-family to industrial, both at the request of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance. Residents, who have been contesting a proposed hyperscale AI data center for months, responded with a heated meeting, chanting and warning of recall efforts unless a moratorium is imposed.

Activist Stephen Sanders and community member Phyllis Gant spearheaded a petition that has gathered nearly 2,500 signatures and could appear on the November ballot. Council members, including Mayor Mark McBrayer, indicated they do not support a moratorium, while LEDA’s John Osborne and surveyor Terry Holeman said the land is intended for manufacturers with rail access, not large data facilities. A separate partnership between LEDA and CORVA to build a 50,000-square-foot inference data center in East Lubbock was disclosed after the meeting, though Osborne said the project is not yet finalized. The dispute highlights tension between local development goals and community concerns over utility strain and tax impacts.