Apr 02, 2026 | Posted by Dave Young
A $500 million data center has been approved in Martindale Brightwood, northeast of Indianapolis, Indiana. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approved Metrobloks’ request to rezone a 14-acre site at 2505 North Sherman Drive for the project.
The site, vacant since 1983 and formerly a drive-in theater, will host Metrobloks’ IND A1 data center, designed to deliver 72MW at full buildout with 154,000 sq ft (14,307 sqm) of whitespace. The facility will use a closed-loop cooling system.
Opponents argue the project could harm the environment and raise concerns about equity, with local group Protect Martindale Brightwood describing data centers as “the new redlining.”
“Data centers are being pushed into Black legacy neighborhoods like Martindale Brightwood. Not because it’s right, but because decision-makers and predatory developers think we’ll accept the burden,” says one of Protect Martindale Brightwood’s Instagram posts.
