Overview
- Residents packed Monday night's Southfield council session to comment on MetroBloks' proposal, and no vote was taken.
- The plan outlines a two-story, 109,000-square-foot facility on 12.9 acres along Inkster Road near I-696, described by the developer as roughly 100 megawatts and smaller than hyperscale sites.
- Speakers raised worries over noise, pollution, traffic, power demand and property values, while at least one nearby resident voiced support despite traffic concerns.
- Council President Charles Hicks noted Southfield already hosts about nine data centers and called the project a long-term investment guided by public input.
- Developer information shared by officials says the site would use closed-loop cooling at roughly 40,000 gallons, rely on generators only for emergencies, target a 55-decibel limit, and fund utility upgrades as state regulators move to shield ratepayers; MetroBloks did not attend the meeting or provide comment.