'The community has spoken': Prichard residents push back on proposed data center - NBC 15

Residents packed Prichard City Hall Thursday night for a community meeting on a proposed data center development, with many attendees voicing concerns about jobs, environmental impacts and whether the project would provide meaningful benefits to the city. Developers with Edged presented plans for what they call Project Gateway, a proposed networking data center that would replace a former 911 data center site on Telegraph Road. The meeting quickly revealed strong opinions from many in attendance. "The people don't want it, and I work for the people," Prichard City Council member Annie Williams told the crowd. Throughout the evening, company representatives worked to address concerns and explain the project, which they say would be built on the footprint of an existing facility and use advanced waterless cooling technology. "It's about transparency, it's about respect, it's about accountability," said David Garland with Edged. According to Garland, the proposed facility would preserve nearby wetlands, avoid encroaching on historic areas and replace what he described as a blighted former 911 data center site. Much of the discussion centered on water usage, a particularly sensitive issue in Prichard as residents continue to deal with ongoing infrastructure challenges.. The company says the proposed facility would occupy roughly nine acres, take approximately 18 months to construct and could break ground as early as late 2026. While developers focused on environmental concerns and technical details, many residents questioned whether the project would deliver enough direct benefits to the people of Prichard. One of the night's most detailed comments came from Mike Booker, who told attendees he currently works in the data center industry and understands the role the facilities play in modern life. Still, Booker questioned whether many of the jobs associated with the project would ultimately go to Prichard residents. "Y'all coming here is a step in the right direction," he said. "But we need to know that it's genuine." Developers responded by saying they would be willing to discuss commitments that directly benefit the community if the project moves forward. "We as a company are open to a community benefit agreement if we were to come to Prichard," Garland said. Michael Tobias, who identified himself as a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said he attended the meeting after speaking with residents throughout the community and gathering feedback about the proposed development. "We learned from tonight that this is a deeply unpopular data center," Tobias said. "Nobody wants this." Mayor Carletta Davis said the purpose of the meeting was to provide residents with information and allow them to hear directly from developers before any future decisions are made. Davis said she initially shared some of the environmental concerns many residents expressed Thursday night. "As an environmentalist, I had concerns about data centers," Davis said. "I actually fought against data centers." The mayor said she later toured an Edged facility in Atlanta and found that some of the environmental issues she previously worried about — including emissions, noise and water use — were not present at that site. By the end of the evening, the mayor acknowledged the message she heard from many in attendance. "I've heard from the community and I've heard that the community didn't want to have the data center," Davis said. "The community has spoken very loudly." Whether those concerns ultimately stop the project remains unclear. Developers say construction could begin as early as late 2026, but any future plans for the proposed data center will ultimately depend on decisions made by local leaders and the direction they choose to take following Thursday night's public feedback. For now, one thing appeared clear inside Prichard City Hall: while developers came prepared to answer questions, many residents came prepared to voice their opposition. ________________ More: https://mynbc15.com/news/local/the-community-has-spoken-prichard-residents-push-back-on-proposed-data-center Follow us: on BlueSky: https://mynbc15.bsky.social on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mynbc15 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mynbc15/ on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mynbc15/ on X: https://www.twitter.com/mynbc15 #localnews #nbc15 #channel15 #mobilenews