Overview
- The City Council voted 3-1 on Monday to remove QLevr LLC’s proposed 54,000-square-foot data center from a one-year moratorium so the developer can proceed to formal review.
- QLevr filed suit after the moratorium took effect, arguing its application complied with existing rules and prompting legal warnings that the city could face at least $20 million in damages if it lost.
- City officials said the municipal insurance cap is $1 million, meaning any judgment above that amount could fall to local taxpayers and drove the council’s risk-avoidance decision.
- The project must still clear the major site plan at the Sept. 28 council meeting, then win a development contract and receive building permits before construction can begin.
- Neighbors remain concerned about noise and utility impacts, and one councilor who voted no pledged a review of zoning and permitting rules to better address future data center proposals.