A data center in the tiny town of Walls? Officials eye rezoning 1K acres

An application to rezone over 1,000 acres from agricultural to light-industrial use is facing intense public scrutiny in the small town of Walls. 

While there appears to be no project at this stage, some believe that the town wants to attract a data center. But residents say the larger question is why a rezoning this large is needed.

Rep. Dan Eubanks, a Republican from Walls, wrote on social media that the town is “wanting to put another massive data center right in our back yard.” 

Eubanks said that he’s for more economic development in the area but cautioned that it should not be done “at the expense of the residents.” 

FAQ: Your questions about Mississippi data centers, answered

In a letter to the town’s planning director, a representative for the land owner wrote that the rezoning would help attract economic development to the property which will in turn bring jobs and contribute tax dollars to the city. 

The rezoning has attracted so much attention in the majority-Black town of 1,400 that a planning commission meeting scheduled for Sept. 22 was moved to a larger venue, Walls Elementary School, in anticipation of a crowd. Some residents have expressed concern about how a data center or other industrial development would fundamentally change the small town’s character.

Walls resident Emily Harris said she was devastated when she learned of the rezoning, which is about a mile from her home. She and her family moved to Walls for the opportunity to own land in a rural, quiet community. 

“We are not against progress,” Harris said, “Growth is a wonderful thing if we do it smart.”

She and other residents have said they want more information about a potential project.

Residents questioned why the rezoning is coming so quickly after the town approved its comprehensive zoning plan earlier this year and if there has been sufficient change in the past few months to warrant rezoning.

The specter of Elon Musk’s SpacexAI looms large in Walls, which is near the company’s growing data-center operations in Southaven and Memphis. Harris has been to Southaven and has heard the noise that residents of Southaven have been living with for over a year. 

Members of the Walls Board of Aldermen did not respond to requests for comment, but on social media the town wrote that the rezoning was “to create a potential path to economic development” and encouraged residents to attend the meeting to gather facts, ask questions and express concerns.