Cleveland data center plans to expand
H5 Data Centers plans a $30 million expansion of its existing Cleveland facility, including a white space build-out and new backup generators, which may involve demolishing adjacent commercial buildings. This expansion is unfolding as the Cleveland City Council considers a moratorium on new data center permits and certificates of occupancy, which could impact the project. The proposed moratorium aims to allow the city to review the impact of data centers on utility infrastructure.
H5 Data Centers is planning a $30 million expansion of its existing facility at 1625 Rockwell Avenue in Downtown Cleveland, according to a recent permit application. The project involves a data center fit-out on two floors, minor toilet room alterations, and associated site work to support new generators. This expansion will likely entail the demolition of several commercial buildings along St. Clair Avenue to make way for additional backup electrical power generators, replacing a previous plan from 2022 to build a new structure for generators.
The expansion plans emerge as the Cleveland City Council deliberates a proposed moratorium on new data center permits and certificates of occupancy. The legislation, authored by Ward 15 Councilman Charles Slife, aims to grant the council time, until May 1, 2027, to review the city's ordinances and assess the impact of data centers on utility infrastructure. While the H5 expansion is within an existing structure, a different $1.6 billion hyperscale data center project in the Slavic Village neighborhood was recently rejected by the city due to incomplete site plans, highlighting the city's scrutiny of data center developments.
The moratorium vote is anticipated after the council's summer recess, with a meeting scheduled for July 15 before the August 19 return. H5 Data Centers has not yet commented on the expansion or the potential effects of the moratorium. The existing H5 facility has a maximum power capacity of 10 megawatts, significantly less than the 150 megawatts proposed for the rejected Slavic Village project.