Terminator'd.
Of all the surf-adjacency we’ve dealt with, here, the very controversial topic of data centers has yet to be broached. The Cyberdnyne-inspired structures wherein data is stored, I think, are in wildly high demand due the rise of AI though also very NIMBY. They take extraordinary amounts of water, for some reason, and are generally creepy.
Well, a proposed surf park in Florida just got scrapped a data center being built upon its grounds and, finally, surf-adjacency.
Koa Bay, approved in 2020 just west of Fort Pierce, Florida, promised, “A natural, honest and inclusive environment where residents and visitors have fun, keep fit, and share a passion for surfing, the ocean, people, and our planet — anchored by a world-class surf park in Fort Pierce, Florida.”
The world-class surf park was set to utilize Wavegarden’s best-in-class technology and surfers thrilled, though maybe not enough. According to WFLA News Radio, Koa Bay owner Chad LaBonte could not raise enough capital to move forward. Construction never began and the property remains as it was, save a man-made lake created by mining operations.
Apparently there were also power lines crossing the parcel which created some sort of bummer.
In any case, a new application has been submitted that would turn part of the acreage into a data center and the other part into a hotel and gas station. But do you think vacationers would prefer to look upon artificial waves or artificial intelligence?
Seems artificial intelligence for the win.
Sad face emoji.