Nearly 100 people packed Inkster City Hall in Michigan for a meeting that ended with the City Council rejecting a proposed roughly $75 million data center.
The project would have repurposed an empty warehouse for around-the-clock operations.
Here's what to know
The warehouse property in Inkster was the site targeted for the project. According to an Instagram post from Metro Detroit News (@metrodetroitnews), Klever Technology Center LLC wanted to turn it into a 40,000-square-foot data center expected to run day and night, creating about 90 to 100 jobs.
The developer attended the meeting as many residents came out to oppose the proposal. The post said the "residents raised concerns about noise, water use, pollution, and potentially higher utility bills."
The video shows numerous people stepping up to the microphone to voice their concerns.
More background
One resident in the video questioned the developer's commitment to Inkster, noting that the developer's promise to give away Thanksgiving turkeys to residents fell laughably short.
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"It's totally ridiculous," they said. "His commitment to the city, the first thing, is talking about giving away turkeys?"
The speaker continued to express doubts that the investment would do much for local residents, saying, "$325 million investment, and the only thing he want to invest in our community and our people is some Thanksgiving turkeys!"
Another issue raised in the video involved data center systems and PFAS. One speaker said, "I just think it's really important because closed-loop systems use PFAS," and questioned why the developer was saying PFAS would not be used.
Residents also pointed to noise concerns. Referencing another facility, one person warned, "It is loud. They have big generators, especially the one out there in Madison Heights."
What's being done?
As City Council considered whether to allow the warehouse conversion, residents used the packed meeting to bring their concerns directly to elected officials. Council ultimately voted no, stopping the proposed data center. That blocks the plan to convert the Southern Street warehouse into a round-the-clock facility.
No revised proposal or follow-up approval process was described.
Online reaction after the denial was celebratory. One commenter wrote, "Yes Inkster!" while others said they were proud of the city. Other comments echoed that mood, including "I love when the community comes together."
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