SWFL.io - Local NewsChief WINK Investigates Reporter Chorus Nylander
•6/23/2026
ARCADIA, Fla. (WINK) — Public records obtained by WINK Investigates reveal that a high-tech data center footprint planned for rural DeSoto County is projected to grow exponentially larger than what local residents say they were initially led to believe.
What began as a localized plan for a 34-acre site at a decommissioned natural gas plant near Roan Street is planned to morph into a massive development. Newly obtained county emails and rezoning filings show the project could expand to well over 1,000 acres.
For over a century, the Arcadia Church of God has served as a central gathering place for a community deeply rooted in Florida’s historic cowboy culture. From nearby family farms to the local rodeo, residents cherish their quiet, small-town lifestyle.
But many locals fear the culture in this rural part of Southwest Florida could be at risk.
"What started out to be what was billed as a small project has now grown into, in my opinion, a massive project," said Senior Pastor Nathan Hedrick. "Of the hundred or so people that go to church here, I haven’t found anybody that’s excited about a data center."
The contrast between the initial proposal and the newly exposed blueprints has left Hedrick stunned. When shown a public records map detailing how the expansion would swell from the initially rezoned 34 acres to nearly 900 acres in its next immediate phase, Hedrick pointed out its proximity to local infrastructure.
"The new high school is right there," Hedrick noted. "Instead of getting further from town, they’re getting closer to town; instead of getting further from residents, they’re getting closer to residents. It's like they're deaf and not listening to us."
Internal county emails obtained via public records requests show that local government staff are fast-tracking two heavy-duty rezoning applications split by Roan Road: the 3F Ranch property and the Swisher property.
Together, these applications seek to add an additional 825 acres of land and an astounding 8.3 million square feet of hyperscale data center building space. In internal communications to staff, county officials described the proposal as both "aggressive" and a "top priority."
The tech firm behind the project, DCIP Group, is aiming remarkably high. An advisor for the company, Todd Smith, recently posted online that the expanded facility is on track to become "one of the largest data centers on Earth."
DCIP CEO Jon Brown confirmed that the full build-out is structured across six phases and could ultimately encompass 1,315 acres if market demand holds.
"There's absolutely plans for expansion," Brown told WINK Investigates. "The final site approval is going to be for 1,315 acres, so we have two zoning approvals we have to go through."
For DeSoto County—frequently ranked as one of the poorest counties in the state of Florida—the promise of a massive influx of taxable infrastructure revenue serves as a powerful incentive for local politicians looking to bolster county funds. However, the immediate economic payoff for citizens appears lopsided; Brown admitted that the initial phase of the tech mega-complex will yield only about 25 permanent jobs. Brown said he was reluctant to speculate on how many jobs would be added in future phases. But taxable revenue is expected to be significant.
WINK Investigates reached out to every single county commissioner to discuss the expansive zoning plans, but all requests for comment went unanswered.
"We understand that our county commissioners are between a rock and a hard place. We get that," Pastor Hedrick said. "But there's just some things that aren't for sale, and this county is not for sale."
The multi-phased project is currently being fast-tracked through local government channels. In April of last year, the county invited DCIP to join a pilot "Rapid Response Program," effectively cutting the standard government review period in half.
While DCIP's executive team maintains they are not shying away from public discourse—noting they have hosted multiple listening sessions with community figures—local trust seems to remain low. Pastor Hedrick stated that he formally offered his church as a neutral town hall venue so developers and commissioners could hear directly from the public, but he said no officials or company representatives accepted the invitation.
Hedrick said he personally met with DCIP officials and does not believe there’s any bad faith or “exploitive” intentions, but strongly believes the project will not be in the best interest of his neighbors.
A final, decisive county vote on the newly filed expansion and rezoning blueprints is scheduled for late July.
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