Earl Warren Showgrounds Declines Global Stack Agreement
The fairgrounds board will review the data center proposal in late October following a shift in statewide site interest.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Data Centers
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Earl Warren Showgrounds CEO Ben Sprague has declined to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with data center developer Global Stack. The company is actively seeking to build shipping-container-sized data centers on up to 70 fairgrounds across California.
Why it matters
The proposal has triggered scrutiny regarding the use of public fairground land for private tech infrastructure projects. After the Ventura County Fairgrounds recently moved to end its own agreement with the company, local stakeholders are closely monitoring how the Earl Warren Showgrounds board addresses the potential land use.
Global Stack typically requests a 100-year land lease for a 2-to-5-acre footprint to house shipping-container-sized data processing units. The proposed sites often incorporate parking structures and landing pads alongside the hardware facilities.
The players
Ben Sprague
The CEO of the Earl Warren Showgrounds who initiated the review of the Global Stack proposal.
Global Stack
A developer specializing in shipping-container-sized, decentralized data center infrastructure.
Earl Warren Showgrounds
A community fairground property in Santa Barbara currently evaluating a private infrastructure development proposal.
California Department of Food and Agriculture
The state department that facilitated the initial meeting between the fairgrounds leadership and the developer.
The details
Global Stack builds self-contained, shipping-container-sized data centers designed to function as decentralized processing units. These units require a permanent site footprint to house the facility, supporting infrastructure, and logistics areas like parking or, in previous proposals, a vertiport—a dedicated landing area for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The developer seeks long-term land control to justify the installation and maintenance of these integrated hardware clusters.
Timeline
September 2026: The Ventura County Fairgrounds board voted to end its memorandum of understanding with Global Stack.
October 2026: The Earl Warren Showgrounds board of directors will receive an informational report regarding the proposal.
The Tech Race
Global Stack is attempting to scale a decentralized data infrastructure model by securing long-term land use across dozens of California fairgrounds. This push follows the recent termination of a similar agreement at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, marking a pivotal moment in the company's statewide expansion strategy.
The proposal remains in the informational stage, meaning there are no immediate changes to public access or usage of the Earl Warren Showgrounds. Local stakeholders should monitor the late October 2026 board meeting for potential updates on the fairground's long-term land use strategy.
The takeaway
The Earl Warren Showgrounds board has not committed to the proposal, maintaining the status quo for the Santa Barbara property. Observers should track the board's informational report at the end of October 2026 to see if the proposal advances to a formal vote.
Further reading
For more on the state of regional infrastructure development, see our coverage of Data Centers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Santa Barbara News-Press.
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