North Loop Neighborhood Association meeting packed to learn more on proposed urban data center
Legacy Investing has proposed an urban data center at the former Star Tribune printing facility in Minneapolis's North Loop, facing significant community opposition. Residents raised concerns about the project's power consumption and the developer's lack of specific plans, as a city-wide moratorium on large data centers is currently in effect.
Legacy Investing, a Virginia-based data center company, is seeking to acquire the former Star Tribune printing facility in Minneapolis's North Loop to develop an urban data center. The proposal has met with strong community pushback, drawing a large crowd to a recent North Loop Neighborhood Association meeting.
The developer presented some details, confirming the project would consume 20 megawatts of power, equivalent to about 16,000 homes, which they claim the downtown Minneapolis electrical grid can support. They also stated the project would use air cooling technology, minimizing water intensity. However, residents expressed skepticism and concerns, with the developer admitting to significant community resistance. The North Loop Neighborhood Association reported that the developer provided insufficient detailed blueprints or specifications to earn their support or make recommendations to the city.
Adding complexity to the project, the Minneapolis City Council previously enacted a moratorium on data centers larger than 350,000 square feet, which is set to expire in November. It remains unclear how this moratorium specifically impacts Legacy Investing's current proposal, which is still in its design phase. A zoning hearing for the project is reportedly scheduled for late September.