On a recent rainy Thursday evening, Martindale Brightwood resident Jacklyn McMillan Gunn traveled across town to Bethel Cathedral AME Church to hear what councilors had to say about data centers.
Her council representative, Rob Gibson, was one of three Democrats who hosted the Jan. 8 community forum. Although data centers were not the focus of the event, the topic came up multiple times throughout the evening.
Gunn isn’t happy with Gibson’s stance on data centers.
Councilors are “talking about how they’re not going to do anything with data centers until they learn more about it, but Councilman Gibson is already in support of the one in Martindale Brightwood,” she said. “I come and I listen, but not everything I’m being told is accurate.”
Gunn is talking about a controversial plan by California-based Metrobloks to build a data center on a potentially contaminated 13-acre site at 25th Street and Sherman Drive. Gibson initially indicated support for the Martindale Brightwood data center in September, though he later clarified that an affirmative vote for the data center would be “contingent upon neighborhood leaders buying in.”
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Proposed Martindale Brightwood data center up for public hearing
An out-of-state developer wants to build a data center at 25th Street and Sherman Drive.
The forum is part of an effort by councilors to hold more community events under the direction of Democrat Maggie Lewis, who became council president Jan. 5. In addition to data centers, councilors also touched on topics such as public safety, housing and road conditions.
Council plans to regulate data centers
At the Jan. 8 forum, which also featured westside Democrat Carlos Perkins and eastside Democrat Keith Graves, councilors discussed ongoing plans to craft a zoning ordinance that deals with data centers.
They emphasized that they have no plans to ban data centers altogether.
“We cannot put all data centers in the same box,” Gibson said. “There are some that are bad for our community. There are some that could possibly be a good investment, and we’ve got to determine which ones are.”
Perkins said councilors need to be careful not to pass policies that would scare off potential investors.
“The message that we do not want to send to our business entities is that Indianapolis is not open for business,” Perkins said.
Shonna Majors, executive director of the Martindale Brightwood Community Center, asked the three councilors why they voted against a symbolic resolution that called on data center developers to refrain from using non-disclosure agreements when meeting with local officials. While companies commonly use NDAs when negotiating economic development projects with local officials, critics say they impede transparency and effectively suppress community voices.
Graves said the proposal didn’t have “a lot of muscle” and that he’s working to get more educated about data centers.
“I think there’s an ongoing, overwhelming negative connotation when we think about data centers,” Graves said. “I’m waiting on more robust information.”
Perkins said the proposal, authored by fellow Democrats Jesse Brown and Crista Wells, was “performative politics.”
“I stand with my vote,” said Perkins, “because it’s important to do the work. Without a doubt, we will leave here tonight, and somebody’s going to get on Facebook and pick on one point we said tonight. That’s the world that we live in.”
The council voted 13-11 against the resolution. Republican Councilor Josh Bain abstaining from voting, citing a data center that is being considered in his district.
Majors, though, apparently didn’t like what she heard. She left the meeting early and logged onto Facebook to share her thoughts.
“I hope a lot of people run for city county council on the next election,” Majors posted on the social media platform. Councilors are up for reelection in 2027.
Much like Google’s effort to bring a data center to Franklin Township, the proposed Martindale Brightwood data center has been met with intense pushback from community members. Google has since withdrawn its proposal.
Those opposed to data centers are concerned about the environmental impacts as well as the tax breaks that are often awarded to big tech companies.
What’s next?
The hearing examiner for the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission, which makes decisions on zoning changes, will hear the developer’s petition for a data center in Martindale Brightwood at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15, in the public assembly room at the city-county building, 200 E. Washington St.
Perkins said the council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee will hold a public hearing on data centers at its Wednesday, Jan. 28 meeting, which will feature testimony from experts both for and against data centers. That meeting will be 5:30 p.m. in the city-county building.
The Pike Township Resident Association will hear from representatives from American Tower Corporation, a data center developer, at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 14, at New Augusta North Public Academy, 6450 Rodebaugh Road. The meeting is open to the public.
The company is looking to build a data center about a mile from Ascension St. Vincent Hospital.
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Mirror Indy eastside reporter Darian Benson contributed to this article.
Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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