Tech companies wanting to build energy-intensive data centers in Indianapolis have faced heavy opposition from local residents.
During an April 27 forum at an eastside church, the developer behind a proposed data center on the east side acknowledged that it won’t be easy to win over the community.
“(We’re) kind of in this awkward moment, coming into Indianapolis, where we don’t know y’all, and y’all don’t know us,” said David Armistead, senior vice president of sales at DC BLOX, a Georgia-based company that wants to build a $2 billion data center campus. “But we are trying to make an effort to get to know the community.”
DC BLOX is asking the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission to approve a request for a variance to construct three buildings at the Thunderbird Commerce Center, a 150-acre industrial park built on the site of a Ford factory that shut down in 2007. The data center campus would be located at the corner of South Kitley Avenue and the Pennsy trail.
Upcoming meeting
Public hearing
The Metropolitan Development Commission will consider the DC BLOX variance petition.
🗓️ 1 p.m., June 11
📍 City-County Building, 200 E Washington St.
Armistead, joined by about a dozen representatives from the company, sought to address concerns about the project during a two-hour forum at Downey Avenue Christian Church in Irvington.
But some residents remain skeptical of the company’s claim that it’s committed to transparency.
“They’re gonna tell you whatever they can to get this thing done,” said Charles Platz, a local musician, addressing the roughly 150 people in attendance.
Absent a few heated moments, it was mostly civil discourse during the two-hour forum, which was organized by City-County Councilor Andy Nielsen. The proposed data center site sits in Councilor Michael-Paul Hart’s district and is on the border of Nielsen’s district.
Developer promises transparency
Armistead sought to draw a distinction between large, hyperscale data centers — like the $11 billion Amazon data center in northwest Indiana — and the one his company is proposing.
He said that “not all data centers are the same” and that people rely on data for everyday activities like using GPS technology, making video calls and accessing medical records. He pitched the site of the old Ford factory as the ideal location for a data center, given its status as a Brownfield site inside a growing industrial park.
Get the backstory
Another data center could be coming to the east side
A Georgia-based company wants to build a $2 billion data center campus on the east side of Indianapolis.
The company is making a number of commitments to get buy-in from city officials and local residents, including a promise to pay all costs associated with utility upgrades for the project and to use local union labor to build the data center.
It also plans to work with the Parks Alliance of Indianapolis to contribute an annual gift to the Pennsy Trail for no less than five years.
Armistead is making an effort to connect with local residents, visiting Irvington staples like Jockamo’s Pizza and Wild Child Coffee Co, which recently moved into an old train station formerly occupied by Coal Yard Coffee.
“We’re trying to come in and get to know the neighborhood,” he said.
Health, environmental and financial concerns
Several residents pointed out that the data center would be in close proximity to Irvington Community Elementary School, potentially disrupting students who are trying to learn.
The company would use backup diesel generators for 30 minutes once a month to make sure they’re still functioning properly. In the event of a power outage, the generators would kick on automatically until power is restored.
Residents gather and speak during a forum on a proposed data center in Warren Township, hosted by City-County Councilor Andy Nielsen, who represents District 14, April 27, 2026, at Downey Avenue Christian Church in Indianapolis. Neighbors heard from DC BLOX representatives about the development, the next steps in the process and asked questions. (Doug McSchooler for Mirror Indy)
In response to questions about water usage and environmental contamination, Armistead said the company plans to use a closed loop system, which uses far less water than other cooling methods.
DC BLOX is pursuing tax abatements for the project. Some residents questioned why large developers get tax breaks when small businesses don’t enjoy the same privilege.
“I know this building is going to get built. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it,” said Irvington resident William Moser, “but I think you should pay your fair share of taxes, just like every small business in the community pays taxes.”
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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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