Topix Underground

In 1999, a farmer gave away 87 acres of land to a small Texas city to use as a park. The city sold to a data center developer for $10 million.

In 1999, the Bland farming family deeded 87.97 acres to a public trust (Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation) for a nominal $10, with explicit language in the deed requiring it "to be held in trust for future use as parkland" for Williamson County.
... the city sold it in 2025 to Blueprint Projects (a data center developer) for $10 million—a massive windfall.

The site is now slated for a 135,000 sq ft data center

IMA HOGG (THAT WAS HER REAL NAME) WAS A RICH PHILANTHROPIST IN TEXAS… SHE LEFT ALL THE ACREAGE NECESSARY FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST CITY PARKS IN THE COUNTRY IN HOUSTON…. MEMORIAL PARK…. IN THE 1960S, THE CITY DECIDED IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO DRILL FOR OIL THERE… AT THAT POINT, SHE REMINDED THEM OF THE FINE PRINT… WHERE IT SAID IF THE PARK WAS USED FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR RELAXATION AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, IT WOULD BE RECLAIMED BY HER FAMILY… TURNED OUT DRILLING FOR OIL THERE WASN’T SUCH A GOOD IDEA AFTER ALL HA HA