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.
News 5 reached out to a representative for Lakeland Equity Group, the company proposing the data center, and is waiting for a response.
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 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.
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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.
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RELATED: Cleveland among the growing list of Ohio communities considering a moratorium on new data centers
