12-month data center moratorium leaves Tri-State city weighing other potential offers
St. Bernard, Ohio, has enacted a 12-month moratorium on data center development, effectively halting a proposed project by CAI Investments at the former Procter & Gamble Ivorydale complex. Village officials expressed skepticism regarding the data center's potential community impact and its compatibility with existing zoning regulations.
The Village of St. Bernard, Ohio, passed a 12-month data center moratorium during a recent village meeting, a decision that has halted a proposed data center project at the historic Ivorydale complex, formerly owned by Procter & Gamble. The complex is currently owned by CAI Investments, which had been exploring data center development as a potential use for one of the buildings previously occupied by the St. Bernard Soap Company.
Christopher Beavor, a trustee for CAI Investments, downplayed concerns about the proposed data center's environmental impact or scale, comparing its necessity to a cellphone tower and stating it would not require new zoning. However, St. Bernard Service Director Mark Wendling expressed skepticism, citing a lack of hard data from CAI Investments regarding potential impacts and questioning the project's ability to expand if approved. Wendling also noted that data centers are not currently permitted under the village's existing code. The moratorium provides the village with time to assess the potential effects on residents and local businesses.
Beavor revealed that a promising deal with a federally funded glove manufacturer recently fell through, leaving CAI Investments to consider other options, including chemical manufacturing facilities, which he sarcastically suggested might be preferred by the village over a data center. Wendling emphasized the need to replace the building's lost fire suppression system and address general maintenance, regardless of its future use. The village's decision reflects ongoing concerns about data center development within the community.