A mother and her daughter from Kentucky have turned down offers exceeding $26 million from developers eager to acquire their farmland for a sprawling data center venture.
Ida Huddleston, 82, and her daughter, Delsia Bare, 54, reside in Mason County, Kentucky, where developers associated with a major data center initiative have been working to consolidate land parcels.
The pair revealed that they had received proposals amounting to $26.48 million for their adjacent properties.
Huddleston, who owns 71 acres, was presented with an offer of $60,000 per acre, totaling approximately $4.26 million. She informed LEX 18 that she has consistently declined the offer.
She believes the repeated attempts have only solidified her resolve to remain on her land.
“What they’ve proposed and continued to do isn’t a business transaction; it’s mental harassment,” Huddleston expressed to LEX 18.
The longtime landowner said she has no intention of selling, regardless of the price.
‘I said I don’t want your money, I don’t need your money, but I do feel sorry for everybody around us,’ she said. ‘They’re gonna be affected by it.’
A Kentucky mother and daughter have refused more than $26 million from developers trying to buy their farmland for a proposed data center in Mason County
Ida Huddleston, 82, turned down roughly $4.26 for her 71-acre farm
Her daughter Delsia Bare, 54, rejected about $22.2 million for her 463-acre property
Bare, 54, has also declined to sell her land despite an even larger offer.
Developers offered $48,000 per acre for Bare’s 463-acre farm, which amounts to roughly $22.2 million.
Combined, the offers for the two properties total about $26.48 million.
The women say their concerns are heightened by the fact that the Fortune 100 company behind the project has not been publicly identified.
Bare said the lack of transparency makes it difficult for residents to understand what the development could mean for their community.
‘When they will not reveal who they are that’s a major player in what you’re going to do with the rest of your life if you are stuck here or even if you are leaving here,’ she told LEX 18.
The proposed data center would be built near Big Pond Pike in Mason County, an area where several landowners have been approached about selling farmland for the project.
Local officials said the facility could bring significant economic benefits to the region.
The women said they will not sell, arguing the project could harm the surrounding community
Local officials have claimed the data center could create around 400 permanent jobs and 1,500 construction jobs
Tyler McHugh, economic development director for the Maysville-Mason County Industrial Development Authority, previously said the data center could create around 400 full-time jobs and more than 1,500 construction positions.
‘As far as jobs would go, they would become if not our largest employer, definitely top three,’ McHugh told LEX18.
Bare, however, doubts those projections.
‘My guess is you won’t have over 50 and they won’t even be here at this building when it’s said and done,’ she said.
Huddleston remains firm in her decision to stay on her land.
‘I’m staying put,’ she said.
The Mason County Fiscal Court is still reviewing the project. Officials recently passed new rules increasing the residential setback for data centers from 500 feet to 750 feet as debate over the development continues.
