Jun 05, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
Compass Datacenters is seeking to ease opposition to its data center plans by proposing a $15 million contribution toward a new animal shelter in Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas. A June 2 statement said Ellis County and Compass Datacenters have announced a proposed $15 million grant agreement to fund the construction of a modern municipal animal shelter.
“When the SPCA of Texas closed its Ellis County regional care center on April 15, 2025, local rescue volunteers stepped up. They worked nights and weekends, opened their homes, and stretched every resource they had to keep animals safe. A year later, their neighbor, Compass Datacenters, is stepping up with them.” “We plan to be a 100-year neighbor to Ellis County, and this is part of what that looks like,” said Compass CEO Chris Crosby.
The project has not yet been approved by the Ellis County Commissioners Court. Residents have raised concerns about the growing presence of Compass Datacenters and other operators, including DataBank, STACK Infrastructure, and QTS Data Centers, in the area.
Compass entered Red Oak in 2019 and has since expanded its footprint through multiple land acquisitions and development filings, including a large-scale data center campus and additional planned facilities through 2024.
In May 2026, Compass Datacenters received approval from the Red Oak City Council for an 830-acre campus. The decision sparked local opposition, with more than 2,200 signatures collected on a petition against the project. As resistance to data center growth increases, developers are increasingly using community investments and workforce programs to build local support, including Compass’ partnership with Texas State Technical College on a data center technician training program.
