Roanoke data center ‘a dead issue,’ city moving forward with moratorium
The city of Roanoke, Alabama, is moving forward with a proposed 12-month moratorium on data center construction after a previous development proposal on Country Club Road was deemed a "dead issue" due to misinformation about a property lease. The moratorium aims to give city officials time to research the issue and will last through the next state legislative session, which may address data center development statewide.
The Roanoke City Council is set to vote on a 12-month moratorium on data center construction following the collapse of a proposed $45 million development in Roanoke, Alabama. Mayor Mike Melton confirmed the project, which was to be located on Country Club Road, is now considered "a dead issue" after it was discovered that developer Tom Gorter did not have a valid lease for the property, contrary to his initial claims.
Gorter had approached Mayor Melton in July seeking support for the data center, stating he had a long-term lease. However, after Melton presented this information to the city council in August, a check with the property owner revealed no such lease existed, with the confusion potentially stemming from an unsigned 2017 lease for a failed solar farm project.
During a recent workshop, city officials reviewed ordinances from other municipalities to draft their own moratorium, which is expected to be voted on in September. The proposed ban on new data center construction for a year is intended to allow the city to thoroughly research the issue and assess potential impacts, coinciding with the next state legislative session in 2027, where data center development may be addressed under a new gubernatorial administration.