Indian River State College has officially abandoned its ambitious plans to construct a massive data center in neighboring Okeechobee County following intense public backlash and striking accusations from state officials. The sudden cancellation of the project, dubbed Okee-One, comes after the Florida Department of Commerce alleged the college misrepresented project details to secure state funding.
For residents of Indian River County, IRSC is a vital local institution. Its Vero Beach campus stands as the only four-year college in the county, heavily supported by local philanthropists for its role in providing essential workforce training for nurses, construction workers, and hospitality staff. However, this recent venture into regional data infrastructure has placed the college at the center of a significant administrative and community dispute.
The Vision for Okee-One
Originally announced last year, Okee-One was envisioned as a state-of-the-art data campus. Situated on 205 acres along U.S. Highway 441 North in Okeechobee, the facility was intended to merge an operational data center with a specialized artificial intelligence learning environment. The state initially backed the concept, awarding IRSC a $1.5 million grant from the Rural Infrastructure Fund to conduct comprehensive property assessments.
College representatives, including Andrew Treadwell, IRSC’s associate vice president of government and community relations, noted that the project had backing from Florida’s Secretary of Commerce. There were even discussions of partnering with the global technology powerhouse Nvidia to expand the site’s power capacity beyond the initial limits.
Mounting Community Resistance
Despite early optimism from local officials regarding job creation and technological advancement, community opposition grew rapidly. Residents expressed deep concerns about the environmental and infrastructural toll of a hyperscale data center. Key community concerns included:
- Massive energy consumption exceeding the 9 megawatts initially available from Florida Power & Light.
- The extraction of millions of gallons of water daily, potentially threatening sensitive state-managed wetlands and wildlife preserves.
- Severe noise pollution, with industrial cooling systems capable of generating low-frequency drones reaching 100 decibels, posing measurable risks to human hearing.
A petition launched by local resident Wyatt Deihl rapidly gained traction, amassing over 3,200 signatures from citizens demanding a halt to the development.
This project became a wake-up call for our community. People realized how quickly massive industrial-scale data center developments can move forward without meaningful public awareness or input.
State Funding Controversy
The situation escalated when Emily Hetherington, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Commerce, accused IRSC of deceiving state officials. According to reports, the department claimed the college’s application was based on falsehoods regarding energy and water requirements. Consequently, the state firmly declined a second round of funding for the project.
Okeechobee County Commissioner Tim Burroughs recently confirmed the project’s termination. Burroughs relayed a conversation with Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly, noting that IRSC allegedly violated grant terms and will now be required to return nearly half of the initial $1.5 million state grant.
A Property with a Dark History
Adding another layer of complexity to the scrapped development is the history of the proposed site itself. The 205-acre property was formerly the Florida School for Boys at Okeechobee, a state-operated juvenile detention center with a deeply troubling legacy of physical and psychological abuse. Closed by the state in 2020, the land was transferred to IRSC by Governor Ron DeSantis in June 2023. Protesters had previously objected to the industrial development of the site, arguing it stands as a somber reminder of a painful history, with lingering local rumors of unmarked burials on the grounds.
At this time, IRSC President Timothy Moore and other key college officials have not issued a public comment regarding the cancellation of Okee-One or the state’s serious administrative accusations.
