SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – Residents packed a Southfield City Council meeting Monday evening to give public comments on yet another proposed data center that could be coming to Southeast Michigan.
Metrobloks, LLC, is requesting to build the data center on a vacant lot on Inkster Road.
Ahead of public comments, Council President Charles Hicks addressed common concerns about data centers and gave the developer’s responses.
The developer claims the project will not affect residents’ utility rates, could enhance reliability, and that any required utility upgrades will be paid for by the company.
The Michigan Public Service Commission has begun implementing regulations to prevent customers’ rates from being affected by data center projects.
The project would also use a closed-loop cooling system, which recirculates water.
The developer claims the system uses only about 40,000 gallons of water, comparable to a residential pool.
The company says the facility would use generators only for emergency backup power, thereby limiting environmental impacts.
The design would also include “detailed acoustic modeling” to limit noise pollution, adhering to a 55-decibel limit.
Hicks said Southfield already has nine other data centers, noting the city has remained competitive because it’s been early in the development of essential infrastructure.
Residents pushed back, raising concerns that the data center could strain the local power grid or lower property values.
“The power grid may not be able to sustain it, what the demands are,” said Southfield resident Terrance Francis.
“They don’t have a history of saying we’ve implemented this elsewhere and this is what we’ve seen happen,” said resident Jennifer Ormond. “This is all. This is what we predict will happen because that’s what our bottom line tells us will happen.”
Homeowners say they want more assurances, with some calling for an environmental and utility impact study before the City Council signs off on the project.
“I would like to maybe have it tabled, and then have the petitioner come in and do a town hall study session so we can talk to them directly,” said resident Pea Gee.
“There’s not enough regulations in place for AI data centers as it is, so I think it’s just putting the cart before the horse, and we’re not ready for it,” Ormond said.