Kentucky Farmer Rejects Nearly $8M Offer from AI Data Center Developer
MAYSVILLE, Ky. — A Mason County landowner has turned down a lucrative offer from a tech giant seeking land for a massive AI data center, opting instead to preserve his family’s farmland and rural way of life.
Dr. Timothy “Tim” Grosser, a veterinarian and lifelong farmer, and his family were approached earlier this year by representatives of a major Fortune 100 technology company looking to assemble roughly 2,000 acres outside of Maysville for a new data center project. The developer offered nearly $8 million for the Grosser’s 250-acre property — significantly above local farmland market value — but the family refused to sell. The company even asked Grosser to name his own price, and he declined again.
Grosser, who also serves on the Maysville-Mason County Planning Commission, has stressed the sentimental and multigenerational value of the land, saying it’s meant for his children and grandchildren to farm. “That money can’t buy happiness,” he told local news reporters when discussing the offer.
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The proposed data center has drawn mixed reactions locally. Proponents highlight the potential for hundreds of jobs and increased tax revenue in an economically struggling rural area. But opponents, including Grosser and other residents worry about loss of farmland, strain on water and power resources, and impacts on the region’s agricultural character.
Economic development officials say the project could still move forward on other parcels, but that losing the Grosser property may force a reduction in scale or layout adjustments.
The story gained wider attention this week after video clips from local TV coverage went viral, sparking discussion about rural resistance to the growing U.S. data center boom.
More coverage as the proposal and local planning discussions evolve.
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