State delays push data center developers to private land

Months of delays in approving a commercial lease on state school land for a data center near Lawton led to the developer canceling its lease, causing the state to lose out on lease payments that benefit public education.

Boomtown Manufacturing LLC won an auction for a long-term lease on a 388-acre parcel on the east side of Lawton in April. The final agreement was before the Commissioners of the La…