DartPoints data center at the former Lexmark data center
DartPoints bought the old Lexmark data center on West New Circle Road. It says it would reuse the existing building, but could grow power use from about 20-30 megawatts to 70 megawatts for cloud and AI work. Neighbors object. Lexington paused new data centers while it writes rules.
Where things stand: DartPoints bought the building for $29 million. Its plan to grow is on hold under Lexington's data center pause, which runs through October 31, 2026.
🕒 Latest update (July 30, 2026): The Planning Commission recommended stricter data center rules, including a ban on large data centers, and sent them to the Council.
What we know
- 📍 WhereFormer Lexmark campus on West New Circle Road, Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County
- 🏢 CompanyDartPoints
- ⚡ Power it needs70 megawatts (about as much as 56,000 homes)
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Will the Urban County Council extend the moratorium past October 31, 2026, or adopt new rules? 🙋 I'll find out
- Would DartPoints' expansion need new diesel generators or a new substation? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- 2026DartPoints, a Dallas data center company, bought the former Lexmark data center for $29 million.
- June 9, 2026The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council passed a temporary pause (moratorium) on new data centers.
- July 30, 2026The Planning Commission recommended stricter data center rules, including a ban on large data centers, and sent them to the Council.
Local votes and rules
📜 Data center rules
Lexington's Planning Commission recommended strict new zoning rules for data centers on July 30, 2026. Large data centers would not be allowed anywhere in Fayette County. Small ones would need a special permit and could only go in warehouse and light industrial zones. The Urban County Council still has to vote; it held a public meeting on October 6, 2026.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
Lexington's council voted unanimously to pause new data centers until October 31, 2026. No zone changes, development plans or permits for data centers are reviewed during the pause. The council also asked the Planning Commission to write new zoning rules for data centers.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Lexington enacts moratorium on data center development · WEKU · June 9, 2026
- Planning Commission recommends tighter restrictions on future data centers in Lexington · WUKY · July 31, 2026
- Lexington council to hold another public hearing on data centers amid moratorium · WEKU · Aug 24, 2026
- Lexington committee weighs data center rules · Spectrum News 1 · Sept 9, 2026
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