City contacted about potential data center

The City's partners at the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation have notified City officials about a request from a site selector, representing a prospective company, for a pre-development meeting regarding a potential data center in east Broken Arrow.

On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, City administration was notified about the potential development of a 51-acre tract of undeveloped privately owned land situated between the Creek Turnpike and State Highway 51 at 8521 S. 209th East Avenue.

The purpose of a pre-development meeting is to provide a site selector and company representatives with an opportunity to ask questions of City staff and learn more about the City's zoning, development standards, and building regulations as they relate to a potential project. Pre-development meetings are internal working sessions between the developer and/or his team and City staff. These meetings are not open to the public and have never been. They are intended to facilitate an initial exchange of information and ensure a clear understanding of applicable requirements before any application for the site plan review or building permits is submitted. Most importantly, no approval of any part of a potential project is authorized during a pre-development meeting. A pre-development meeting is anticipated within a couple of months.

"It is very early in the process, so we don't have a lot of details just yet," said City Manager Michael Spurgeon. "However, we do recognize the significant interest in data centers and the concerns citizens have about the potential impacts related to noise pollution, utility usages including water and electricity, and the environment. I assure Broken Arrow residents that as soon as we learn details, we will share them accordingly. Furthermore, and I want to be perfectly clear on this matter, no City Councilor, myself, or members of my staff have been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement about this potential project, and we will not sign an NDA."

The Mayor, City Council, and City Administration are committed to ensuring a full understanding of the potential impacts this project could have on the community. Given the recent interest in data center developments in the region, the City of Broken Arrow wants to be clear and transparent about the current status of this potential project:

• The prospective company of the data center is unknown at this time.
• No non-disclosure agreements have been signed about this potential project and will not be signed.
• No member of the City Council or the City Manager has met with representatives of the prospective company at this time.
• No incentives or assistance from the City for the project have been discussed, requested, or agreed to.
• No Economic Development Agreement for the project has been discussed or signed.
• Should the project proposal move beyond a pre-development meeting, any subsequent considerations to approve applications related to the project, i.e., rezoning request, etc., would be made during a meeting(s) open to the public.

In response to this meeting request, the City of Broken Arrow and the Economic Development Corporation will begin a due diligence process. This will include a comprehensive review of infrastructure needs to support the project, coordination with the electric service provider regarding potential electrical impacts, coordination with Rural Water District No. 4 regarding water service capacity, and evaluation of all relevant considerations, including infrastructure capacity, environmental factors, and public safety.

The site of the potential development is currently zoned Agricultural. A request to rezone the land to Industrial Light would be required and presented in a public hearing at a Planning Commission meeting. If recommended to move forward by the Planning Commission, the request would be presented in a public hearing at a City Council meeting.

"As is the case with every potential and formal development proposal presented to us, our number one priority is the health, safety, and wellness of our citizens. Therefore, the City Council, myself, and my leadership team are committed to being your advocates and ensuring this potential proposal, like all proposals, meets or exceeds the requirements of our ordinances and engineering design standards, and would be a benefit to our community and the tremendous quality of life we enjoy in Broken Arrow," said Mr. Spurgeon.

Updated information about the potential project will be posted to the City of Broken Arrow website when it becomes available.