Taylor, Texas sold land originally donated as parkland to a data-center developer for $10 million; dispute over 1999 deed restriction is on appeal
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What happened
In 1999, the Bland family conveyed roughly 87.8 acres to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation for $10, with the deed stating the land should be 'held in trust for future use as parkland.' After transfers to the Williamson County Park Foundation, the City of Taylor, and the Taylor Economic Development Corporation (which dropped the parkland language from later deeds), the EDC sold the property to a Blueprint-linked entity in April 2025 for $10 million to build a 135,000-square-foot data center. Residents sued, arguing the sale violated the original parkland restriction; a judge dismissed the suit for lack of standing in October 2025, and residents have appealed to the Third Court of Appeals. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into the land deal.
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