By: MDA Staff Writer | March 24, 2026
Clarksdale, Miss. — Orlando W. Paden is addressing community concerns following a recent vote tied to the possibility of a data center project in Clarksdale, emphasizing that no final approval has been granted.
In a public statement released March 23, 2026, Mayor Paden made it clear that the city’s recent action to approve rezoning does not mean a data center has been approved. Instead, he described the vote as “only the beginning of the conversation” about whether such a development could come to the city.
The rezoning decision allows a specific area of land to be considered for industrial use, a necessary step for projects like data centers. However, city leaders stress that no formal application has been submitted by any developer at this time.
Mayor Paden also reassured residents that transparency and public input will be key if a proposal does move forward.
“If an application comes from a data center, I am going to insist that a detailed plan be given to the Board and to the public for what they propose,” Paden stated.
He added that the city will not move forward with any project that fails to meet established standards for public welfare.
“Moving forward, we will not approve anything that doesn’t meet our standards for the public welfare of our citizens,” he said.
The mayor further noted that if a formal proposal is submitted, the discussion process will essentially restart, giving both city officials and residents another opportunity to review and weigh in on the potential impact.
The statement comes amid growing community interest and concern over what a large-scale data center could mean for Clarksdale, including questions about economic benefits, infrastructure demands, and quality of life.
For now, city officials emphasize that the project remains in a preliminary stage, with no commitments made and no final decisions on the table.
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