Detroit is drafting data center rules. One council member wants a pause first.
Detroit City Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero directed the council’s legal staff to draft an interim zoning moratorium that would pause permits for new enterprise AI data centers through March 2028. The proposal comes as the city develops permanent data center zoning rules, while the mayor has not acted on an earlier council request for a moratorium.
Detroit City Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero is seeking an interim zoning moratorium on permits for new enterprise AI data centers while the city develops permanent regulations. Her memorandum calls for an 18-month pause extending to March 17, 2028, although she acknowledged that the mayor’s office generally has authority over a formal moratorium and that the council’s legal path remains uncertain.
The council previously urged Mayor Mary Sheffield to halt new data center permits, and city officials say permitting has effectively been paused while the issue is reviewed. Separately, the Detroit City Planning Commission is drafting a data center zoning ordinance, with Council Member Scott Benson aiming for council approval by the end of the year. Officials and council members cite infrastructure, environmental and water-use concerns, while the administration has not committed to the proposed moratorium and some council members favor continuing the existing zoning process instead.