Data center might get tucked away inside downtown Oakland office site
A proposal for a data center and AI complex within an existing downtown Oakland office building seeks to proceed without a key city permit. The building's owner argues the current use is a continuation of a past supercomputing operation. However, a political organization, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, has launched a petition to oppose the project, citing environmental concerns and potential community impacts.
A plan is underway to establish a data center and artificial intelligence complex on one floor of a downtown Oakland office building located at 415 Thomas L. Berkley Way. The building's owner is attempting to avoid obtaining a conditional use permit by arguing that the proposed computing complex represents a continuation of the site's historical use as a supercomputing operation for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from 2000 to 2015. Colin Behring, CEO of the business affiliate owning the building, formally requested a letter of determination from city planners to confirm the proposed use aligns with existing zoning and general plan designations.
Despite the owner's efforts to streamline the permitting process, the proposal has encountered opposition. The Party for Socialism and Liberation has initiated a petition against the project, raising concerns about potential pollution and negative environmental impacts on the community. Organizer Eisa Al-Shamma stated that data centers leave a "track record of pollution and degradation." The proposed data center would occupy 20,700 square feet, representing a small portion of a larger 1.4 million square foot innovation hub envisioned by Behring.