Project MidSpan: Latest Developments

What changed

Local 3 reporting from the October 5 Bradley County Commission meeting quotes County Mayor D. Gary Davis saying the county insurer denied its claim related to defending the SDCL lawsuit. Davis said he had asked the attorney to move forward with the defense and was asking the Commission to do the same. The county’s official meeting index still did not provide October 5 minutes or a linked video recording when Placeward checked on October 7.

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Why it matters

The denial introduces a new public-cost question into the MidSpan litigation because some or all defense costs may need to be funded outside the expected insurance coverage. The reviewed public record does not yet establish why coverage was denied, whether the county is challenging the denial, what counsel arrangements have been made, what the defense is expected to cost, or which county fund will pay those expenses.

What changed

Bradley County’s official September 28 work-session minutes record seven speakers opposing data centers or related facilities. Two requested moratoria, and one speaker specifically asked the Commission to fight Project MidSpan and Project River. The Commission took no MidSpan-specific action at that meeting.

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Why it matters

The record shows that community concern continued after MidSpan and the lawsuit became public, but public comments are not evidence that the projects will cause the impacts speakers fear and they did not change MidSpan’s legal or approval status.

What changed

Local reporting says Bradley County Schools still plans to move forward with a proposed middle school near Walker Valley High School despite the Project MidSpan dispute. The Board of Education had approved purchase of adjacent Lauderdale Memorial Highway property for a future middle school in 2024.

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Why it matters

The planned middle school adds a future sensitive receptor to the site-compatibility analysis. The final school design, construction schedule, and exact relationship to the data-center site remain to be established.

What changed

County Mayor D. Gary Davis discussed Project MidSpan publicly, described the proposed site as roughly 300 acres behind Walker Valley High School, and said Bradley County would defend the regulations adopted by the County Commission.

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Why it matters

The remarks establish the county’s public position at the outset of the litigation. The county’s detailed legal response to SDCL’s claims must still be taken from its court filings as they appear.

What changed

SDCL Tennessee Propco LLC filed a verified complaint in Bradley County Chancery Court challenging the validity and application of the April 2026 data-center zoning rules and seeking declaratory and injunctive relief.

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Why it matters

The filing turns the zoning dispute into an active court case. The complaint documents SDCL’s allegations and requested relief; it is not a court finding that the county acted unlawfully.

What changed

The Bradley County Commission approved Resolution 2026-08 by a 14-0 vote. The adopted framework places regulated data-center and cryptocurrency-mining uses in the I-2 Special Impact Industrial District and includes 3,000-foot separation requirements from specified zoning districts and existing residences, schools, and churches.

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Why it matters

The April resolution is the county action at the center of the current MidSpan litigation and the immediate land-use constraint affecting the proposed site.