Spartanburg Says No: County Council Unanimously Rejects $3.14 Billion Project Spero Data Center Deal
- CUBNSC
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Javar Juarez | New Progressive Journal
Spartanburg, S.C. - In a special called meeting at 3:00 p.m. on February 27, 2026, Spartanburg County Council unanimously voted down an ordinance authorizing the execution of two Fee-In-Lieu-Of-Tax (FILOT) agreements tied to what had previously been identified as “Project Spero.”
The proposed ordinance would have authorized tax agreements among Spartanburg County and the following entities:
HG Tiger DC I LLC
Project Spero SC1 JV, LLC
Project Spero SC1 JV Property I LLC
HG Tiger DC I Personal Property II LLC
HG Tiger DC I Personal Property III LLC
The project, previously described in county documents as a “high performance computing facility,” was projected to bring at least $3.14 billion in capital investment into Spartanburg County under a 40-year incentive structure.
Instead, within minutes, the ordinance failed. The vote was unanimous.
Council adjourned shortly thereafter.
What Was on the Table
The inducement resolution adopted in November 2025 outlined:
Two separate FILOT agreements (real property and personal property)
A potential 40-year stabilized millage structure
Assessment ratios potentially reduced to 4%
Special source tax credits tied to infrastructure reimbursement
Placement within a multi-county industrial park structure
The framework revealed how Spartanburg negotiates with hyperscale data center developers — long-term stabilization, infrastructure reimbursement mechanisms, and multi-county structuring tools.
But the deal never reached execution. Ahead of today’s special called meeting, Tiger DC formally announced it was withdrawing Project Spero from consideration in Spartanburg County and will begin evaluating alternative sites for the investment.
The Corporate Structure Becomes Clearer
In recent weeks, public scrutiny intensified around the web of LLCs tied to the proposal. Today’s ordinance named multiple entities connected to the project.
Separately, Jerry Tang, founding partner of VCV and founder of TigerDC, described his business structure in a recent interview at the New York Stock Exchange. In that interview, Tang stated:
“VCV is a holding company. There are two businesses we have under the VCV umbrella related to AI. Tiger DC is an AI data center development company, and Atlas Cloud is an AI cloud company.”
Tang further confirmed TigerDC has sites in South Carolina and North Carolina, targeting hyperscale customers and aiming to scale to potentially two gigawatts across the states.
He also noted that development in South Carolina required approximately:
12 months for initial design and permits
18 months for power agreements
Roughly 3 years from design to operational status
That timeline underscores that while the Spartanburg proposal has been withdrawn, Tiger DC’s broader development ambitions in the region are unlikely to end with a single ordinance.
Citizens Applied Sustained Pressure
Public opposition in Spartanburg has been intense and sustained.
Residents expressed concerns over:
Long-term tax stabilization structures
Infrastructure reimbursement credits
Water usage
Power capacity
Transparency in negotiations
The conduct and responsiveness of certain elected officials
The issue became one of public trust as much as policy.
Many citizens showed up repeatedly. They organized. They questioned. They scrutinized LLC filings. They challenged the 40-year structure.
And today, Council voted unanimously to reject the ordinance.
What This Means
This vote does not necessarily mean:
The project is permanently dead.
The company will not reapply elsewhere as it has stated.
A revised structure will not be proposed.
But it does mean this:
The specific FILOT agreement originally presented on November 17, 2025, will not move forward.
It also sends a clear message:
Spartanburg County Council is not insulated from public pressure.
Bigger Questions Now Loom
Even in defeat, the proposal revealed:
How multi-county industrial park structures are used.
How special source credits are structured.
How long-term millage stabilization is negotiated.
How corporate entities are layered for project execution.
Will future negotiations become more transparent?
Or more secretive?
Will state-level legislation alter the balance of local control?
Will this fight influence upcoming elections?
The answers remain to be seen.
But today, Spartanburg residents demonstrated that when they show up in force, they can alter the trajectory of billion-dollar proposals.
For now, Project Spero has been stopped.