INDIANAPOLIS — The data center conversation continues to make noise across the Martindale-Brightwood community.
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Metrobloks, the Los Angeles-based company looking to build a data center in the Martingdale-Brightwood community, called a meeting with residents to answer questions about the project on Monday night.
"What infrastructure improvements related to this site are already underway? Who requested them? And how are they being funded?” a woman who attended the meeting asked.
"If the community doesn't want the data center, why are you continuing to push it?” asked a resident who attended the meeting.
"You've mentioned soil management plans. Do you know what that is?" asked another.
Dozens filled Fredrick Douglass Park to meet with Metrobloks, the California-based company behind the proposed $500 million data center project off Sherman Drive, an area that is currently vacant.
Since September, Monday's meeting was Metrobloks' second meeting with the Martindale-Brightwood community.
"I know it's a little bit tough sometimes in those public meetings, but we want to still hear concerns and questions, see if there's anything that we can try to address going forward,” Tyler Ochs, attorney for Metrobloks, said.
Many residents have concerns about the variety of impacts the data center could have on the community. When addressing the crowd, Design Manager for Metrobloks Hope Martin said, "I don't personally have any concerns. I would love to live next to one of our data centers.”
Some residents are still not convinced that the community will reap any of the benefits from the center.
"We wanted tonight to be an opportunity for them to give some clarification. And unfortunately, leaving the meeting, we feel like we did not get it. We stand in opposition to the data center development, and we continue to stand in opposition to it after the end of the meeting,” Cierra Johnson, President of One Voice Martindale-Brightwood, said.
"You guys said that if the community said no, you would leave. That's what you said, that's what you said,” a man who attended the meeting said. "So, one more time for you, you and you, no more data centers here!"
One voice, Martindale-Brightwood said, they will be showing up in full force for a City-County Council committee meeting on February 12.
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