Bartow County data center: Neighbors raise water, land concerns

Community members packed a local restaurant to question developers over a massive data center proposed on more than 500 acres of rural Bartow County land.Kingston data center proposalNew York City-based Thor Equities wants to build a data center along State Route 293 about two miles east of town. Organizers had to move a town-hall-style meeting from Kingston City Hall to a nearby restaurant because of high resident turnout.The developer holds a 561-acre site but plans to build on only half of the property. Developers told neighbors the site will run on a closed-loop water system to reduce municipal water consumption.Bartow County land debateThor Equities Executive Vice President Raj Vohra defended the economic impact of the project during the meeting."We're really hoping to do it in a way that will add net benefits to the community through new tax dollars," Vohra said. "We believe the community and the schools in the area can greatly benefit from [the revenue]." Vohra said.Some neighbo