Company seeking to rezone Forest Avenue property for Jackson data center
A real estate investment firm is seeking to rezone a 190-acre property in Jackson, Mississippi, for a data center, with a Planning Board hearing scheduled for May 27. This comes shortly after the Jackson City Council tabled a proposed 183-day moratorium on data center development to allow for a public hearing. City council members are expressing concerns about the potential impact on infrastructure and quality of life.
Saxum Investment Company LLC is seeking to rezone a 190-acre property on Forest Avenue in Jackson, Mississippi, from residential, commercial, and light industrial to I-2 Industrial for the construction of a data center. A hearing on this rezoning request is scheduled before the Planning Board on May 27.
This development follows the Jackson City Council's decision to table a proposed 183-day moratorium on data center construction, expansion, permitting, and site plan approvals. The moratorium, authored by Council President Brian Grizzell, was introduced due to concerns about data centers' potential impacts on the city's water and sewer infrastructure and residents' quality of life. The council tabled the measure after city legal advised that a public hearing was required for zoning ordinances.
Ward Two Councilwoman Tina Clay, who voted against tabling the moratorium, expressed concerns about the data center's impact on the nearby Ashley Acres subdivision, noting that the rezoning application does not explicitly mention "data center." Attorney Robert Ireland, representing the company seeking rezoning, urged the council to delay the moratorium, citing tens of millions of dollars in potential property tax revenue over the next decade. If the Planning Board approves the rezoning, it will proceed to the City Council for a final vote in June or July.