Lakeland: Cleveland, Ohio

The City of Cleveland has rejected a $1.6 billion proposal by private credit firm Lakeland Equity Group to build a massive hyperscale data center campus. The planned project would have spanned 35 acres and consisted of three buildings.

City officials blocked the permit during a zoning review due to an incomplete application that lacked site plans, alongside growing concerns over the environmental impact and strain on the local electrical grid, which would have required energy equivalent to 100,000 homes. Leadership voiced strong opposition to placing massive standalone data centers inside dense residential neighborhoods, while Lakeland Equity Group expressed disappointment and is currently evaluating its next steps.