Data center developer PowerHouse is looking to develop a new campus in Charlotte, North Carolina.
WSCOC-TV reports PowerHouse wants to build on more than 130 acres between Interstate 485 and University City Boulevard.
The site, located close to a Duke Energy substation, could see up to 2.5 million sq ft (232,260 sqm) of data center space developed.
Charlotte City Council could vote on the project as soon as next month. However, WSCOC said city staff aren’t endorsing the project due to concerns about its noise.
Council member LaWana Slack-Mayfield said inquiries into noise and environmental impact are worth launching. She is also concerned about the potential impact on people who live nearby.
“For me looking at this, this seems like something that should be in an industrial area, not around residential homes,” she said.
American Real Estate Partners (AREP) launched PowerHouse in partnership with Harrison Street last year.
So far the company has focused on developments in Virginia, with three campuses around Ashburn and Sterling in Loudoun County. Its first development, ABX-1, along Beaumeade Circle in Ashburn, has been leased to CyrusOne.
DCD has reached out to PowerHouse for more information.
Update: PowerHouse provided DCD with the following statement:
"We can confirm that PowerHouse Data Centers presented at a Charlotte City Council public hearing on August 21, 2023. PowerHouse Data Centers looks forward to collaborating with Charlotte officials and its community to build a project that benefits the people of Charlotte.
With this development, our goal is to address the region’s growing need for data center space by constructing an aesthetically pleasing development that boosts the area’s commercial tax base and provides high-paying job opportunities with minimal impact on local services."
