New data center developments cannot be approved in Marion County until after 2027. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission unanimously voted 6-0 on Wednesday to enact the pause. It is effective immediately.
When the measure passed at Wednesday’s commission meeting, the room erupted in cheers. The move follows months of protests over proposals from tech companies to build data centers in and around Indianapolis neighborhoods.
The moratorium will stop new data centers from being built until at least Dec. 31, 2027. It also creates a committee of experts and residents who will study campus size, building height, environmental impacts and sound levels of data centers to help inform future zoning decisions. Mayor Joe Hogsett, who supports the pause, proposed $150,000 for the committee in his 2027 budget plan.
The decision won't affect the three data center projects already approved, which have drawn community opposition: DC Blox in Warren Township, Metrobloks in Martindale-Brightwood, and Sabey in Decatur Township.
Over 50 people attended the meeting, including a large majority who stood up to signal their support for the moratorium — and opposition to data centers.
Commissioner Brian P. Murphy questioned whether the proposal would include those previous data centers the commission had approved. That provision was also considered by City-County Council on Aug. 10 during discussion on an amendment which would have clearly spelled that out, but they rejected that amendment. The moratorium is pre-empted by a state law protecting previously approved development.
The council voted 23-1 to advance the measure to the MDC at the early August meeting.
Wednesday, two council members appeared at the meeting, including the member who voted against the proposal, Michael-Paul Hart (R-District 20). Hart told the commission that they should deny and send the proposal back to the council.
“Effectively, what this is doing is putting a pause on it until there’s a new city council in place” in 2028, Hart said. “What we’re going to have is a group of developers who are going to come in and be a lot smarter on this topic than a new group of councilors.”
Councilor Dan Boots (D-District 3), who supports the moratorium, also spoke.
“I respect Councilor Hart’s position. However, that vote was 23-1. He was the sole vote against it,” Boots said, noting the “lion’s share” of the council voted for the moratorium.
What is a data center?
The new rule defines data centers in the city’s zoning code as a facility used primarily for the storage, management, processing, and transmission of digital data. The definition is:
"A facility used primarily for the storage, management, processing, and transmission of digital data and that houses computer or network equipment, systems, servers, appliances, and other associated components related to digital data storage, processing, and related operations. Data center uses include data storage facilities, server farms, artificial intelligence training or processing, image processing, cloud computing, email servicing, and similar uses. This definition does not include:
1. Information technology (IT) services and equipment which are incidental and subordinate to a primary, permitted use; or
2. A structure or facility where the primary use of such structure or facility is a Wireless Communications Facility, Substations and Utility Distribution Nodes, or a Public Safety Facility or Post Office, as defined in Chapter 740, Article II.
A facility shall not be excluded from the definition of data center solely because the data stored, managed, processed, or transmitted by the facility relates to wireless communications, broadband, public safety, or emergency communications."
During the meeting, public hearings for two proposals for tax abatements for the Metrobloks data center in Martindale Brightwood were moved to a later meeting scheduled for Sep. 16.
Contact WFYI data journalist Zak Cassel at zcassel@wfyi.org.
