INDIANAPOLIS — Dozens of people gathered at the City-County building Thursday to voice opposition to Metroblok's proposed data center at 25th and Sherman.
WATCH FULL STORY BELOW
Many left disappointed after the Metropolitan Development Commission hearing examiner decided to recommend approval for the project.
"None of the neighborhood is in favor of the data center," Dale Wigden-Wright said during the rally outside the building.
The Protect Martindale Brightwood Coalition raised environmental concerns about the development site.
"The lots that they want to develop on have environmental contaminants," Cierra Johnson said.
Metroblok's attorney addressed these environmental concerns during the meeting, citing a recent assessment of the property.
"Metrobloks came in September of 2025 and conducted a phase one assessment that did not find any recognized environmental conditions and stated that there were no further action to be taken," Tyler Ochs said.
Ochs, representing Metrobloks through Bose McKinney & Evans, said the company will implement a soil management plan that includes continuous testing during construction, if the project is approved.
He described Metrobloks as a small business that goes into cities and finds properties to give them a second life.
"This is a small business that will ultimately be leasing out these spaces to places like a hospital, bank, school," Ochs said. "It could be used for e-mail storage, cloud storage or AI."
Metrobloks CEO Ernest Popescu emphasized the company's commitment to community investment following the hearing examiner's approval.
"This hearing was an important step on the road to a project that would transform a long-vacant brownfield site into an economic generator," Popescu said. "With environmentally responsible design and a $2.5 million investment to the community in affordable housing and infrastructure, this project reflects our commitment to strengthening Martindale-Brightwood and building lasting partnerships."
Popescu said the project would generate revenue through multiple channels.
"We anticipate that the project will bring revenue through job creation, construction and tax revenue, in addition to our commitment of $2.5 million," Popescu said.
The project has divided local officials. Councilor Ron Gibson, who represents the Martindale-Brightwood area, supports the development.
"For more than 40 years, the site has not contributed to neighborhood activity or reinvestment," Gibson said. "I also acknowledge that residents have raised valid questions and concerns. Those concerns have guided my review. I would not support this request if I believed it imposed new or unreasonable burdens on nearby homes or businesses."
However, community members remain skeptical about the environmental safety of developing the long-vacant site.
"That land has been vacant for a long time because it's full of environmental pollutants," Johnson said. "We need to take a lot of care in how that land gets developed, and this plan does not show that type of care."
District 13 Councilor Jesse Brown questioned whether the project truly benefits the community.
"It's very easy to compare a beautiful image of a new building with a derelict vacant lot and assume the former is a better land use," Brown said. "This is a large building, industrial building, designed not to accommodate contact with the general public or very many workers."
Brown also raised broader concerns about the city's approach to data center development.
"Are we really so confident data centers are the future that we are willing to paint ourselves in the corner of supporting them even over such intense community disapproval?" Brown asked.
The hearing examiner approved the project, citing water usage plans including a closed-loop system that recirculates water and Metroblok's plans for a substation.
Community leader Dennel Howard expressed disappointment with the hearing examiner's recommendation for approval but vowed continued opposition.
"Her decision was important. It's insulting. It's hurtful, but I want you to know it's also invigorating and motivating because they need to know this is not the end," Howard said.
The Metrobloks zoning decision now heads to the Department of Metropolitan Development Commission on March 4. An appeal against the decision is expected.
Ahead of the hearing, a group of City-County Councilors shared a statement calling on Metrobloks to pause or withdraw its data center proposal until the city establishes clear expectations for data center development. This proposal is one of several data center projects in Marion County that have faced community push back.
___
