Seattle data center proposed for downtown arts venue just days before city council votes on a moratorium
A proposal for a new six-story data center in downtown Seattle, replacing an arts venue, has emerged just days before the Seattle City Council is set to vote on a one-year moratorium on new data center developments. The moratorium, which passed the Land Use and Sustainability Committee, aims to address environmental concerns over data centers' high electricity and water consumption and will lead to permanent regulations.
A proposal to demolish the Cannonball Arts music and arts venue at Third Avenue and Virginia Street in downtown Seattle and replace it with a six-story tech facility, including a data center, has sparked debate.
The announcement comes as the Seattle City Council's Land Use and Sustainability Committee unanimously voted to recommend a one-year moratorium on new data centers. The full City Council is scheduled to vote on the moratorium on June 9. According to committee chair Eddie Lin, the moratorium is a temporary measure intended to allow the city to develop permanent regulations for data center development.
However, a "wrinkle" in the process notes that if the proposed data center project can secure all necessary paperwork and permits before the moratorium is officially approved by the full council, it may still be allowed to proceed. City leaders are concerned about the environmental impacts of data centers, citing a United Nations University report that estimates global data centers consumed 448 trillion watt-hours of electricity and 1.2 trillion gallons of water in 2025.