CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland rejected the permit application for a proposed data center in Slavic Village, according to a city social media post.
Building department records show officials threw out the permit application on Thursday, noting that the company behind the project did not submit any drawings.
Lakeland Equity Group, the company behind the proposal, sent News 5 the following statement Thursday evening regarding the rejection:
"Lakeland Equity Group is disappointed by this abrupt action by the city. We are considering our options for immediate next steps. We look forward to continuing to work with local government officials and community residents to help everyone consider this important, job-creating project’s merits."
Last week, Mayor Justin Bibb told News 5's Michelle Jarboe he had "real concerns" about massive data centers popping up in Cleveland neighborhoods.
Westlake-based Lakeland Equity Group had filed a permit application with the city for a $1.6 billion data center campus. The 35-acre site is a dormant truck yard wedged between East 49th and East 55th streets, just east of Interstate 77.
The proposal came as a surprise to neighbors and city officials.
WATCH:
RELATED: Cleveland's mayor has 'real concerns' as data center proposal surfaces in Slavic Village
The site, surrounded by houses, vacant lots and battered old commercial buildings, is zoned for industrial use. It was the longtime home of the S.B. Morabito Trucking Co. The property has been marketed for sale, on and off, for years.
In April, News 5's John Kosich reported that the Cleveland City Council is considering a moratorium on new data centers.
Councilman Charles Slife said the pause would give the city time to assess and ensure the right neighborhood protections are in place.
"For the people saying well, these are going to rural areas, there's a lot of vacant land in the city of Cleveland, there's a lot of old industrial facilities that could be retrofitted for this, so the city of Cleveland right now is receiving interest from data center operators," he said.
WATCH:
RELATED: Cleveland among the growing list of Ohio communities considering a moratorium on new data centers
On Wednesday, News 5's Morgan Trau reported that, amid increasing anti-AI sentiment across the state, lawmakers in Columbus are creating a committee to study the benefits and drawbacks of these tech hubs.
The committee, made up of a bipartisan group of lawmakers, will assess how much data centers impact Ohio energy bills, examine the financial benefits to communities, evaluate their impacts on water and wildlife, identify national security risks and increase awareness of what hubs actually do.
WATCH:
RELATED: As more Ohio towns ban data centers, lawmakers move to ‘study’ impacts
