Nearly two dozen clergy leaders and community members gathered at 25th Street and Sherman Avenue Wednesday, Jan. 14, to oppose a proposed data center in Martindale Brightwood.
Los Angeles-based company Metrobloks wants to build a data center at 2505 N. Sherman Drive, the site of the former Sherman Drive-In Theater, which closed in the 1980s.
For months, community members have openly opposed the development. The property is across from residential homes and in close proximity to local businesses, the Martindale Brightwood library and one of the area’s only grocery stores.
Residents have cited concerns about rising utility costs, increases in property taxes and an overall lack of benefit to the community. The property is also a brownfield, which means the land could be contaminated
Upcoming meeting
Metropolitan Development Commission Hearing
The hearing examiner will hear Metrobloks’ proposal for a zoning variance.
🗓️ 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15
📍 Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St.
Now, the local clergy members are asking Mayor Joe Hogsett and City-County Councilor Ron Gibson, who represents the area, to acknowledge the community’s concerns.
“The absence of meaningful dialogue from our city leadership only deepens the sense that the decisions are being made about this community, rather than with this community,” said Rev. Fitzhugh Lyons Jr., pastor of the 100-year-old Galilee Missionary Baptist Church.
Clergy leaders said Gibson has “blatantly disrespected” local pastors and community members who do not support the data center.
In an email to Mirror Indy, Gibson said that was false.
“I would never disrespect my people or my community,” Gibson said in the email. “When I met with some of the pastors, I told them that we will have to agree to disagree.”
In the email, Gibson also mentioned that the lot has sat vacant for nearly 40 years and has contributed little to the local economy or quality of life.
“The proposed data center by Metrobloks represents a rare and significant opportunity to transform this longtime dormant site into a productive, modern asset that aligns with Indianapolis’s long-term economic development goals,” Gibson said.
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office sent Mirror Indy a statement in response to a request for comment.
“The City of Indianapolis, including the Mayor’s Office, follows precedent set by prior administrations and does not comment on zoning matters,” the statement said.
Opposed to data center, not development
Lyons is also the chairman of the community support group Martindale Brightwood People’s Action Committee. He said he and his fellow clergy leaders are opposed to the data center, not development in the neighborhood.
“Martindale Brightwood has long carried the weight of industrial harm, environmental contamination, disinvestment and broken promises,” he said. “We are opposed to development that, once again, asked this community to absorb unequal risk while receiving little to no meaningful benefit in return.”
Rev. Jarrod Hubbard, a pastor at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, said religion and civic engagement are inseparable.
“Religion and politics have always gone hand in hand,” Hubbard said. “Since the very beginning, the faith based institutions have always worked for the flourishing of our communities.”
Instead of the data center, residents have expressed interest in more retail spaces for local businesses, pharmacies or health centers.
What’s next?
Metrobloks does not currently own the property and will need to receive approval to rezone the land before the data center could be built. The proposal will be heard by the Metropolitan Development Commission hearing examiner at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building.
The developer is also seeking a zoning variance to build a 70-foot-tall building. It would be an exception to zoning standards, which allow a maximum building height of 38 feet. Other exceptions the company is asking for include forgoing the maximum 65-foot front yard setback from the street and installing fewer parking spaces than required.
Gibson submitted a letter to the hearing examiner to voice his “strong support” of the project ahead of the public hearing. In the letter, Gibson said the project would benefit the community and is different than other “large scale” facilities built elsewhere.
If the hearing examiner approves the requests, the petition will move to the full Metropolitan Development Commission for a vote.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
