Columbus residents divided over proposed 'Project Ruby' data center

Discussions surrounding Project Ruby, a proposed hyperscale data center in Columbus, continued after a public open house and forum on Monday. The event, held at Salomon Road Rec, was described by a reporter as a "cross examination" as residents pressed city leaders and project representatives for answers. Residents like Deborah, a McKee road resident, expressed environmental concerns, having moved to the area for clean air after her son's final days in metro Atlanta under Code Orange air alerts. Other neighbors voiced worries about noise, light pollution, potential lower property values, and questioned the need for the data center in their community, noting that the land is not currently zoned for such a facility. Many believe there is already a technology area in the city that is not at full capacity. City officials stated they invited engineers and utility experts from organizations such as Columbus Waterworks, Flint Energies, and Habitat Partners (land representatives for the project) to address residents' questions. These questions focused on critical issues like water use, power needs, light pollution, water consumption, and energy consumption related to the proposed development.