Shreveport council approves data center after hours of public testimony; developers to sign water and sewer agreement

The Shreveport City Council on Dec. 9 unanimously approved a special-use permit and site plan for a proposed data center in West Shreveport following hours of public comment that split residents and business leaders.

Mayor Arsenault and economic-development supporters described the project as a multibillion-dollar private investment that would bring hundreds of construction jobs and roughly 150–200 permanent high-skilled positions, along with additional sales- and property-tax revenue and utility income. The council voted 7–0 to overturn a denial by the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) and approve the applicant’s permit after debate and public testimony.

Why it matters: Council members and backers said the project offers a rare opportunity to strengthen the city’s tax base and infrastructure without using city capital. Opponents said the location—adjacent to Greenwood Acres and Deer Creek neighborhoods—raises unresolved public-safety, traffic, water-supply and health concerns and faulted the process for lack of transparency and reliance on nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).

Supporters’ case: Mayor Arsenault told the council the project would be developer-funded for infrastructure and said the city has sufficient water capacity, noting Cross Lake’s processing capacity and that developers had proposed on-site water-storage improvements. Justin Dixon of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership and other business leaders emphasized workforce pipelines and the potential for revenue to support schools and public services.

Voices from the neighborhood: Residents who live nearest the proposed site warned of one-way access to Greenwood, potential stress on water pressure, diesel-generator emissions during outages, constant low-frequency noise from cooling systems and the emotional toll of feeling excluded from early negotiations. Pastor Reginald Dodd and others noted prior rezoning controversy and argued the set of notices required by zoning did not reach all affected streets.

Process and zoning: Opponents cited the MPC’s earlier denial and urged the council to delay the vote, request independent environmental and utility modeling, and require the developer to reapply under a heavier industrial category (I-3) that would trigger additional setbacks. Supporters and some council members countered that the site is certified industrial, that the proposed plan exceeds many UDC setback and buffer minima, and that delay risks losing the investment to competing locations.

Council action and safeguards: The Vice Chair moved to overturn the MPC decision; the motion was seconded by Councilman Green and carried 7–0. The council also approved Resolution 1-47 authorizing the mayor to execute a water-and-sewer service agreement with the developer (TXLAAR), a separate unanimous vote. Several council members who voted to approve said they expected enforceable contract provisions, performance benchmarks and ongoing oversight to be finalized in subsequent agreements.

What’s next: The council’s approval permits the developer to proceed with required engineering, permitting and construction-planning steps. Council members said residents should remain engaged: the administration and developer-designated liaisons committed to continued neighborhood meetings and follow-up on mitigation measures.

Quotes (selected): "This project represents a large capital investment…It will add hundreds, perhaps thousands, of construction jobs over 3 to 5 years," Mayor Arsenault said in opening remarks.

"We are not against data centers — we are against the location of data centers or any major industry being located in close proximity to residential neighborhoods," said Ken Epperson, a West Shreveport resident and speaker who proposed an alternate 640-acre site owned by the Caddo Parish School Board.

"There are too many questions…If we have enough water for this, it doesn't make sense to me given these conditions," said Dolly McSwain, a Greenwood-area resident.

"If we demand guaranteed outcomes before we ever say yes, the only thing we guarantee is that the opportunity will pass us by," Councilman Talifaro said in explaining his yes vote and urging enforceable safeguards.

Provenance: topicintro – SEG 576 ("We're here today to look at 2 different matters... the data center") ; topfinish – SEG 4124 ("And that passage is 7.").