The Southfield City Council faced a packed house on Monday, as residents voiced strong opposition to a proposed data center by developer MetroBloks LLC. The contentious meeting saw more than two dozen residents express concerns over the potential environmental and infrastructural impact of the facility, planned for a site on Inkster Road near 11 Mile Road. Council members ultimately passed the proposal with a 5-2 vote late that evening, reports the Detroit Free Press.
Despite the approval, detractors highlighted issues surrounding the data center's electricity usage and the strain it might place on the power grid, potentially leading to higher electric rates. "I don’t see where we’re really going to benefit that much to put that strain on our city like that," William Greene, a resident, told the Detroit Free Press. On the flip side, supporters pointed to the economic opportunities the development could present, with WXYZ noting that the data center is scoped to be smaller than others in the state, and a resident opined that the infrastructure would be more readily available in Southfield than in other locales.
Before Monday's meeting, MetroBloks had argued the data center would be quieter than the freeway and employ a closed-loop water system, demanding less water than larger-scale "hyperscale" data centers. The company's representative, Jeff Mandel, assured that the facility would create 35 full-time jobs plus 150 to 200 construction positions, as per the Detroit Free Press. Despite these reassurances, no resident voiced support during the meeting itself.
Amid the decidedly heated debate, Council President Charles Hicks and Councilwoman Ashanti Bland cast the two dissenting votes, referencing the widespread apprehension among residents. "We have to consider new ideas, new technologies, because that's just the way the world is going," countered Councilwoman Coretta Houge, who voted in favor, mentioning communication with constituents who support the initiative, according to the Detroit Free Press. The conversation before the vote brought repeated concerns over potential pollution, noise, and the heavy draw on the electric grid.
