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1 data center project in Bessemer City

Who decides here: the City Council of Bessemer City votes on zoning. The Jefferson County may review big projects too.

In Bessemer City

Approved, not built yet

Project Marvel data center campus in Bessemer

Bessemer, Jefferson County

1,600 acres

🕒 July 1, 2026: QTS Data Centers, owned by Blackstone, confirmed it is behind the project and said it wi…

Nearby (within 15 miles)

Being builtabout 6 miles away

Nebius AI data center in Oxmoor Valley, Birmingham

Birmingham, Jefferson County

75 acres · for Nebius

🕒 July 2026: Two neighbors sued to stop the project; a judge let construction continue for now.

Proposedabout 8 miles away

Patmos data center in former Fairfield Walmart

Fairfield, Jefferson County

🕒 Aug 12, 2026: Hundreds of residents attended a town hall on the plan at the Fairfield Civic Center.

Local votes and rules

🗺️ Zoning change

Council approved rezoning about 900 more acres for Project Marvel, after the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended it in February. The extra land keeps the campus clear of the planned Northern Beltline road; the campus grows to about 1,600 acres.

April 21, 2026Source

🗺️ Zoning change

Council voted 5-2 to rezone about 700 acres from farm land to light industrial for Project Marvel, a planned $14.5 billion data center campus.

Nov 18, 2025Source

🗺️ Zoning change

Council changed the zoning code so data centers of any size are allowed in light industrial areas. Before, data centers were not listed as an allowed use. The change cleared the way for Project Marvel.

Oct 7, 2025Source

⚖️ Court case

Neighbors near Rock Mountain Lake Road sued over the Project Marvel rezoning, calling it unfair 'spot zoning'. A judge first paused the council's action, and the city restarted the process. On June 22, 2026 the case was dismissed for good after both sides agreed to end it.

April 2025Source
Built & runningBeing builtApproved, not built yetProposedStopped or cancelled

What you can do

  1. Get told first.
    We'll email you if anything changes in Bessemer City.
  2. Go to council meetings.
    Anyone can speak. Big projects usually need a public hearing.
  3. Ask questions in writing.
    Use our checklist.
📣 Report something here

🔔 Get told first

We'll email you when something changes in Bessemer City. Nothing else.

⚡ Your electric company

Depending on where you live in Bessemer City: Alabama Power Co. (company) or City of Bessemer Utilities (run by the town).

Big data centers need a lot of power. Who pays for new power lines depends on state rules. See the rules in Alabama.

🙋 Open tasks here

  • Which company will use the data center?
  • How many diesel backup generators will the campus have?
  • Will Bessemer residents' power bills go up because of this project?
  • How much water will the campus use, given earlier estimates of up to 2 million gallons a day?

How to help →