Nothing reported in Salem City yet
Who decides here: the City Council of Salem City votes on zoning. The Essex County may review big projects too.
Local votes and rules
✋ Turned down
Salem's Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to uphold the city's cancellation of a building permit for a 12,000-square-foot building at Shetland Park. The city says the building would be a data center, which zoning does not allow. The owner, Prime Group Holding, says it is a 'low-latency inference center', not a data center.
🚫 Ban
Mayor Dominick Pangallo proposed a zoning change that would ban data centers in every zoning district in Salem. City staff say data centers are already not allowed under current zoning; the change would make that clear. As of September 2026 the City Council had not voted.
What you can do
- Get told first.
We'll email you if anything changes in Salem 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
Massachusetts Electric Co. (company).
Big data centers need a lot of power. Who pays for new power lines depends on state rules. See the rules in Massachusetts.