The City of Cleveland has rejected a permit application to build a $1.6 billion data center on a 35-acre site in Slavic Village, though the city offered no details about why it was rejecting it.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb made the announcement on several of the city’s official social media accounts, including its Facebook account. Bibb’s office, which appeared surprised by the permit and the scale of the project, has not responded to a request for comment. The permit is still listed as pending on the city’s online permit portal.
Bibb used a 45-second social media post last week to ensure city residents that he’s paying attention to concerns about data centers.
The permit, filed May 5, described plans for a two-story, 300,000-square-foot “state-of-the-art, hyperscale facility.”
The Lakeland Equity Group is behind the project, according to the permit. Its managing director, Sam Khouri, did not respond to a call or email seeking comment about the city’s rejection of the permit.
The proposed $1.6 billion project would be built in Council Member Deborah Gray’s Ward 3. It would also sit near Kevin Bishop’s Ward 2 and Richard Starr’s Ward 5, both of which include parts of the Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood.
Cleveland City Council Member Charles Slife, of Ward 15, introduced legislation in late April that would put a moratorium on new data centers for a year, but the legislation is still being discussed.
