Company behind Downtown Lansing data center project withdraws application, officials say

Deep Green, a United Kingdom-based company, has withdrawn its application for a zoning amendment that would have facilitated the construction of a 24-megawatt data center in Downtown Lansing, Michigan. Lansing City Council President Peter Spadafore announced the withdrawal on Monday, stating that the project would no longer move forward, and the scheduled city council vote on the re-zoning was canceled. The proposed data center, planned for the area of E. Kalamazoo Street and S. Cedar Street, had generated "heightened public awareness" and opposition from some Lansing residents since its announcement last November. Deep Green CEO Mark Lee released a statement affirming the company's commitment to building data centers responsibly and continuing to work with local partners in the region, emphasizing its mission to create a data center that captures and reuses waste heat. Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, who had previously supported the plan, acknowledged the concerns raised by the public while also noting the potential for new revenues and the unique heat capture technology proposed by Deep Green. He has since invited proposals for housing development on the now-empty parcels. Dick Peffley, General Manager of the Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL), expressed understanding of Deep Green's decision and reiterated the BWL's belief in the project's benefits, including emissions reductions and a $120,000 annual donation to its Pennies for Power program. Tim Daman, President and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, called the withdrawal of the $120 million development a "deeply disappointing outcome" for the community, stressing the need for constructive dialogue on significant projects.