Martindale-Brightwood residents take data center fight to court, citing environmental racism

A coalition of Martindale-Brightwood residents and environmental advocates has initiated a legal challenge to halt the development of an approved data center in their Indianapolis neighborhood. The group, which includes the Hoosier Environmental Council, is opposing a project by California-based developer Metrobloks, arguing that it threatens environmental cleanup progress and perpetuates "environmental racism." The residents have been actively pushing back against the development since last year. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission had previously approved Metrobloks' rezoning request for a nearly 14-acre site at 2505 N. Sherman Ave., which was formerly a drive-in movie theater. The legal complaint, filed with the Marion County Superior Court, names Metrobloks, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission, and Sherman Investments, LLC as defendants. Community members are requesting an injunction to prohibit construction and to declare the rezoning approval invalid, citing concerns over potential groundwater contamination due to the site's documented history of industrial pollution. Metrobloks had stated plans to power the facility through contracts with AES Indiana and utilize a closed-loop cooling system for water recirculation. This legal action follows a similar judicial review request by residents in Decatur Township, also in Marion County, against a proposed data center campus by Seattle-based Sabey Corp. The Protect Martin-Brightwood coalition emphasized their commitment to preventing their neighborhood from being treated as a "sacrifice zone."