DC Blox Data Center OK’d By Indianapolis Officials

The Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) has approved a $2 billion data center campus by Georgia-based developer DC Blox in Indianapolis, despite months of local opposition. The project, planned for a brownfield site near South Kitley Avenue and the Pennsy Trail, was given the go-ahead in a 6-1 vote on July 15, requiring no further approvals, although residents are considering legal action.

Eastsider Mikey Hess, coordinator for Eastside Community Action, led protests, citing concerns about pollution, increased utility bills, and the project's proximity to Irvington Community Elementary School. The Irvington Community Schools board also urged the MDC to deny the project, arguing the development does not meet variance of use criteria and should be subject to a full rezoning process by the City-County Council.

DC Blox scaled back its original plans, now proposing a two-building campus with 31 diesel generators, shifted to create more green space and a buffer from the elementary school. The company has also made community commitments, including covering utility costs, limiting generator tests to non-school hours, following brownfield cleanup requirements, and contributing to the Pennsy Trail.

Hess, however, deemed these commitments insufficient and unenforceable. Residents are prepared to file an appeal for judicial review within 30 days of the MDC decision and are collecting funds for a legal defense. This approval comes as a committee of city-county councilors advanced a proposed moratorium on new data centers through 2027, which Mayor Joe Hogsett supports, but it would not affect already-approved projects like DC Blox's.