Alabama's Highway 80 Becomes New Battleground Over Historic Civil Rights Land

A new battle is unfolding along Highway 80 in Alabama. Residents and civil rights activists are opposing plans for a massive data center near a historic civil rights site. The proposed Project Red Clay has sparked widespread scepticism in the community. In 1965, marchers led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. walked from Selma to Montgomery along Highway 80. The three-day march camped beside the same road to demand voting rights for African Americans. Today, that stretch is a national historical trail.

Cloverleaf Infrastructure wants to build a hyperscale data center campus on 800 acres of rural land nearby. The project would include four 720,000-square-foot buildings, a 100,000-square-foot warehouse, and a 30,000-square-foot office. The company has requested 1,500 megawatts of energy and up to 100,000 gallons of water per day for the site.

An open house was held to discuss the plans. Many attendees voiced strong opposition. They fear the development would harm the legacy of the civil rights movement. Others doubt the promised jobs and economic benefits will materialise. Lowndes County, where the project is proposed, already struggles with poverty, with around 25% of residents living below the federal poverty line. The proposed data center would sit near a site tied to a pivotal moment in US history. Residents argue its construction could undermine that legacy. The debate over Project Red Clay highlights deep concerns about development in a community still grappling with economic hardship.