Protests delay data center in east Charlotte

American Tower Corp., a global real estate investment trust, has postponed its request to rezone a 58-acre site in east Charlotte for a proposed data center development. This delay comes in response to significant public opposition, including protests held outside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center and a petition signed by over 4,000 residents urging the City Council to reject the project. Opponents, including concerned residents and organizers from the Party for Socialism and Liberation, have voiced a range of concerns about the potential impacts of the data center. These include increased water usage, high energy demands, and broader environmental consequences, especially given the trend of data centers being built near Black and brown communities. Gustavo Toro, a Charlotte resident, specifically highlighted worries about noise impact on his noise-sensitive child. American Tower had filed the zoning request in March and subsequently asked the city to push back the Charlotte City Council's consideration to May 18, acknowledging the community's outcry.