Indianapolis, IN
East Indy data center faces resident backlash as plan is delayed
If there’s one topic that can compel multiple people to shout an expletive into a microphone in a church sanctuary, it’s data centers.
Company executives from Atlanta-based DC BLOX, the latest developer looking to build a data center campus in Indianapolis, made their pitch on April 27 at Downey Avenue Christian Church in Irvington, the east-side neighborhood near which three proposed facilities would sit. The sanctuary was packed with close to 200 people, including residents who came to speak vehemently against the idea, union laborers who showed up to support it and many more who came to listen.
“It’s not popular to be in the data center business right now. It’s really popular to go online, on social media especially, and hate on data centers,” DC BLOX Senior Vice President of Sales David Armistead said to the room before public comment. “But what I will tell you is not all data centers are the same, and not all data center companies are the same. And if there’s a data center that was irresponsible and they’re getting a lot of hate, then that’s well-deserved.”
Armistead’s remarks did little to comfort residents who criticized the plan for several reasons, among them: the company’s intention to seek tax breaks; the air and noise pollution more than three dozen backup diesel generators could cause; and the data centers’ proposed location just south of Irvington Community Elementary School.
“I think you should pay your fair share of taxes, just like every small business in the community pays taxes from the day they open their door,” William Moser, an east-side resident, told the company leaders.
While most kept their comments civil, one woman told the DC BLOX representatives that “every single one of you are disgusting.”
Before the meeting, the company decided to postpone its May hearing before the Metropolitan Development Commission hearing examiner to take more time to gather feedback. The use variance request required for the data center — which needs final approval by the full MDC but not the Indianapolis City-County Council — is now set for an initial hearing June 11.
What to know about DC BLOX data center
DC BLOX wants to build a data center campus with three buildings encompassing more than 400,000 square feet in an industrial park just east of Irvington, at 305 Fintail Drive. The company aims to complete the initial facility, the smallest at 80,000 square feet, within two years of city approval and the two larger buildings by 2030.
All told, Armistead said, the three facilities would cost upward of $2 billion to build and use close to 80 megawatts of energy — enough to power tens of thousands of homes. DC BLOX says the data center will employ 35 “high-wage” permanent staffers and up to 600 construction workers during the buildout.
The buildings would sit on part of a 150-acre site where a longstanding Ford automotive parts factory operated until 2007. After the plant was demolished, the site rebranded as the Thunderbird Commerce Center in 2021 to attract logistics and manufacturing firms.
The site’s anchor business is beverage retailer and distributor Monarch Distributing, which moved into a roughly 500,000-square-foot facility in 2024. The data center buildings would be just north of where Monarch sits, closer to the Pennsy Trail.
How DC BLOX deals with energy, pollution concerns
The company’s proposal aims to mitigate some of the common fears about data centers, particularly related to energy use.
For one, the facilities won’t initially be used to power artificial intelligence, the force driving much of the data center boom. DC BLOX says it will house data for regional network communications and local clients like banks, hospitals, universities and governments.
What’s more, the first building will cool computer equipment with a waterless system similar to those big-box stores use. The next two facilities would use a closed-loop system, a less water-intensive method that will pull water only from municipal provider Citizens Energy Group — not from natural aquifers.
In case of rare emergencies or mechanical issues, the company says it will dispose of leaking water in line with state regulations and not flush it into the city’s wastewater system.
DC BLOX also says it will pay for all costs associated with a new electricity substation that could be needed to power the three facilities. The company cites an AES Indiana statement that promises new data centers will cause “no negative impact to existing customer rates” because AES will be able to spread out new infrastructure costs over a larger amount of electricity sold.
Armistead said Monday night that although DC BLOX would not be legally bound by proposed city regulations on data centers that could take effect this summer, the company plans to adhere to most of them anyways. DC BLOX also won’t sign non-disclosure agreements as part of its negotiations, representatives said.
“I see this as a way to extend technology into an area where it hasn’t existed before,” Armistead said, “to allow the community to participate in this high, high- growth sector of our U.S. economy.”
The company says it aims to host another community forum in City-County Council District 20, where the data center is technically located, in the coming weeks. Irvington sits just to the west in District 14.
District 20 Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, whose opposition helped to kill a Google data center in his district last fall, told IndyStar in an April 22 phone interview he remains “neutral” on the DC BLOX proposal.
He said residents should “take the time to show up and make sure that they’re getting all questions asked and answered.”
“Anything we want in a commitment is still completely plausible, because it still takes a vote, and that’s from the MDC,” Hart said. “So if there are valid points that need to be made, there are still members of that body who are going to listen and can approve these things. And that’s where the convincing has to happen.”
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — The National Weather Service out of Indianapolis has issued a Heat Advisory for all of Central Indiana and a High Heat Warning for parts of northern Indiana. The Advisory and Warning will go into effect at 12 PM on Monday and will run through 8 PM Thursday.
WRTV
A Heat Advisory means that temperatures in the 90s with dew points in the 70s, will lead to Heat Index values reaching 106. Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.
Stay cool:
Drink plenty of fluids, check up on relatives and neighbors, and stay in an air-conditioned room when possible. If outside for extended periods of time, make sure to take frequent breaks in the shade as much as you can.
TODAY
Patchy fog early gives way to a partly sunny, warmer, and much less active day. Highs reach the mid to upper 80s, with a light south breeze around 5 mph. After the unsettled Saturday, this looks like a far more usable day for outdoor plans, with most of central Indiana staying dry from start to finish.
TONIGHT
Mostly clear early, then becoming partly to mostly cloudy toward daybreak. Lows hold in the low 70s, with a light south southeast breeze around 5 mph. Humidity stays elevated overnight, but quiet weather continues and there are no meaningful travel concerns.
TOMORROW
Mostly sunny and hot with highs pushing into the low 90s. A south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the air moving, but the bigger story is the heat and humidity building in. Heat index values around or above 100 are possible during the afternoon, so outdoor plans will need extra water and more breaks.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows around the mid 70s and a light south southwest breeze. There will be very little cooling after sunset, and the muggy feel hangs on through the night. Dry weather remains in place.
TUESDAY
Sunny and even hotter, with highs in the low to mid 90s and a light southwest breeze around 5 mph. This is another day where heat becomes the main impact, and it will not take long to feel it during the afternoon. Outdoor work and summer activities will need to be paced carefully.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Clear and warm again, with lows in the mid 70s and a light southwest wind. The air remains sticky overnight, and there is still no meaningful rain signal for Indianapolis.
WEDNESDAY
Mostly sunny and hot, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Wind stays light, becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Heat remains the main concern, and another uncomfortable summer afternoon is expected across central Indiana.
7 DAY FORECAST
After Saturday’s leftover storm chances fade away, the pattern flips quickly toward heat and humidity. Sunday looks quieter and warmer, then Monday through at least Wednesday trend hot with highs in the 90s and heat index values over 100 possible at times. Rain chances stay very low through midweek, with the next better opportunity for showers and storms showing up later Thursday into Friday. Overall, the bigger concern after tonight becomes summer heat rather than repeated storm chances.
TONIGHT
A few showers and thunderstorms may linger through the evening before coverage gradually fades later tonight. Patchy fog may develop after about 2 a.m., and lows settle in the upper 60s with a light east breeze. It will not rain all night everywhere, but the evening still carries enough of a storm threat to keep a weather eye nearby.
TOMORROW
Patchy fog early gives way to a partly sunny, warmer, and much less active day. Highs climb into the mid 80s, with a light east wind around 5 mph. After the unsettled Saturday, this looks like a far more usable day for outdoor plans, and most of central Indiana should stay dry from start to finish.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Clear early, then becoming partly cloudy toward daybreak, with lows in the low 70s. A light south southeast breeze around 5 mph keeps the air moving just enough, and the humidity stays elevated overnight. Quiet weather continues.
MONDAY
Mostly sunny and hot with highs pushing into the low 90s. A south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the air moving, but the bigger story is the heat and humidity building in. Heat index values over 100 are possible during the afternoon, so outdoor plans will need extra water and more breaks.
MONDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows around the mid 70s. A light south southwest breeze continues overnight, and there will be very little cooling after sunset. It stays dry, but the muggy feel hangs on.
TUESDAY
Sunny and even hotter, with highs in the low to mid 90s and a light southwest breeze around 5 mph. This is another day where the heat becomes the main impact, and it will not take long to feel it during the afternoon. Outdoor work and summer activities will need to be paced carefully.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Clear and warm again, with lows in the mid 70s and a light southwest wind. The air remains sticky overnight, and there is still no meaningful rain signal for Indianapolis.
WEDNESDAY
Mostly sunny and hot, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Wind stays light, becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Heat remains the main concern, and another uncomfortable summer afternoon is expected across central Indiana.
7 DAY FORECAST
After today’s storm chances taper away, the pattern flips quickly toward heat and humidity. Sunday looks quieter and warmer, then Monday through at least Wednesday trend hot with highs in the 90s and heat index values over 100 possible at times. Rain chances stay very low through midweek, with only low-end storm chances returning later Thursday into Friday. Overall, the bigger concern after Saturday becomes summer heat rather than repeated storm chances.
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