Southern Dallas neighborhood ‘begging to be part of the process’ amid data center fight
Residents of Dallas’ historic Joppa neighborhood are demanding transparency and public oversight after a small cryptocurrency-related data center was built without a public hearing. Five Dallas City Council members have proposed a moratorium on data center development while the city considers stronger zoning and regulatory requirements, but no vote has been scheduled.
Residents of the predominantly Black Joppa neighborhood in southeast Dallas say they were blindsided by a small data center whose construction began in 2024 and was completed in 2025. The facility, associated with cryptocurrency mining, consists of three small buildings and is awaiting certificates of occupancy. Community members cited noise, industrial pollution and the lack of public notice or participation in the project’s approval.
Five Dallas City Council members submitted a memo seeking a record vote on a moratorium for data center development. Council member Chad West said current regulations are inadequate, while state Rep. Venton Jones and organizers from Downwinders at Risk called for broader scrutiny of data centers’ effects on noise, air quality, water use, heat and the electric grid. The proposal has been referred to the council’s Economic Development Committee, but its consideration and any eventual full council vote remain uncertain.