Lordstown Data Center Case Pending in Ohio Supreme Court
A data center developer, Bristolville 25 Developer, LLC, has a pending case in the Ohio Supreme Court against Lordstown Village Council. The developer claims the council's moratorium on AI data centers should not apply to their project, as their site plan was submitted when data centers were permitted. Lordstown argues the developer never formally applied for a zoning permit, making the complaint moot.
A complaint filed by Bristolville 25 Developer, LLC and BHGH Properties, LLC, seeking to build a data center in Lordstown, Ohio, is currently pending before the Ohio Supreme Court. The developers submitted a site plan in October 2025, claiming that data centers were permitted under Village zoning laws at that time. They are challenging subsequent actions by the Lordstown Village Council, which included a temporary ban on AI data centers, later reversed, and a 180-day moratorium on permitting AI data centers, enacted in January and set to expire on July 4, 2026.
Bristolville has filed a motion asking the Supreme Court to compel the Village Council, its Planning and Zoning Department, and its Planning Commission, including respondent Kellie D. Bordner, to review and act upon its site plan. The developer argues that the moratorium should not apply to their project because their application process began before it was enacted. The proposed data center is planned for 133 acres across Trumbull and Mahoning counties and is expected to create 120 full-time jobs. The Lordstown Village Council contends that Bristolville never formally applied for a zoning permit in October 2025, submitting only a site plan, and therefore the motion to compel a permit consideration is moot.