Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota County Blocks Hyperscale Data Centers for at Least One Year

Commissioners voted on Wednesday to halt the “acceptance, review and approval” of any major data centers until at least July 2027 but seemed eager to push for an outright ban in perpetuity.

07/10/2026 By Christian Casale/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

Developers Push Massive Data Center Complex in DeSoto County

Florida-based DCIP Group has already secured rezoning approval for an initial 34-acre site at a decommissioned power plant near Arcadia, but company executives say the project could eventually expand to roughly 1,300 acres.

05/28/2026 By Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight

Smart City

Meet the Innovators and Professionals Shaping Our AI Ecosystem

A diverse and steadily growing group of innovators—from architecture and education to law and venture building—are immersed in the region’s emerging AI world.

01/04/2026 By Brian Hartz, Susan Burns, and Lauren Jackson