1 data center project in Birmingham City
Who decides here: the City Council of Birmingham City votes on zoning. The Jefferson County may review big projects too.
In Birmingham City
Nearby (within 15 miles)
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.
Approved, not built yetabout 15 miles awayProject 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…
Local votes and rules
⚖️ Court case
Oxmoor Valley homeowners sued the City of Birmingham, Nebius and its builder, saying the city broke its own zoning rules when it allowed the 300-megawatt data center. In July 2026 a judge ruled the case can go forward and held hearings on stopping construction. Neighbors later added claims about land sales tied to the site.
📜 Data center rules
Council voted 6-3 for new zoning rules for all sizes of data centers. The biggest ('hyperscale', over 200,000 sq ft or over 30 megawatts) must meet 20 conditions: 500 ft from homes, 1,000 ft from major transit stations, at least 5 acres, closed-loop cooling, no fossil-fuel generators except for emergencies and testing, and noise studies before and after building. A public hearing is no longer required if all conditions are met.
🤝 Agreement with the company
The city's Industrial Development Board voted 6-0 to give the Nebius data center tax breaks for up to 30 years: 65% off non-school property taxes and 80% off construction sales taxes. The mayor said the city itself did not give the tax breaks.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
Council paused permits, site plans and business licenses for new or bigger data centers using more than 20 megawatts, for 180 days. Two projects already in the works (DC BLOX expansion and Nebius) were exempt. The pause was meant to end once new rules were in place.
What you can do
- Get told first.
We'll email you if anything changes in Birmingham City. - Go to council meetings.
Anyone can speak. Big projects usually need a public hearing. - Ask questions in writing.
Use our checklist.
🔔 Get told first
⚡ Your electric company
Alabama Power Co. (company).
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
- How much water will it use per day?
- How many diesel backup generators will it have?
- How will the lawsuits by neighbors and the Humane Society end?