GIBRALTAR, Mich. – A data center developer is suing the city of Gibraltar, alleging officials illegally blocked a proposed facility by enacting a targeted moratorium.
Raeden Acquisitions, along with Cal Realty, filed a lengthy complaint against the city, arguing Gibraltar’s one-year temporary moratorium on data center consideration was passed after they presented their site plan.
The proposed project is a 100-megawatt data center on the site of a former steel plant.
The companies contend their proposed data center is allowed under existing city zoning ordinances and that the moratorium was designed specifically to stop their project.
They are asking the court for several things, including approving their site plan and application to develop the property, issuing a judgment in their favor, and awarding damages.
City officials declined to discuss the case, stating they cannot comment on ongoing litigation.
Some residents, who have already opposed bringing a data center to Gibraltar, see the lawsuit as another effort to push through a project they don’t want.
“They’ll probably beat us for the simple fact they have all the bucks,” resident John Venier said. “I don’t like it.”
The law firm representing Raeden Acquisitions acknowledged receiving a request for comment from Local 4 and said it would pass the message along.
They have not yet provided a statement.