\u201cThe thing folks are upset about, rightly, is that when IBM initially built out the campus there, they said that they intended for the open space to be in perpetuity,\u201d Mahan said at the meeting. \u201cBut \u2026 they never created any legally binding easement. Now there is a new owner\u2026 we are going to push them as hard as we possibly can to actually adopt a permanent conservation easement.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/View-of-IBM-lab-buildings-courtesy-of-Ronald-Horii-1024x768.jpg\")
A former IBM site in South San Jose is set to be acquired by data center development firm Blackstar Digital. Photo courtesy of Ronald Horii.<\/p>\n
Mahan said he wants the development to be limited to the industrial park\u2019s current size.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we want to see an expanded footprint,\u201d he told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe want to protect the open space.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casey, whose district includes the former IBM site, did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n
Erik Schoennauer, a land use consultant representing Blackstart Digital, said Mahan and Casey have made it clear they want the open space protected.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to working with them to determine the best approach to accomplish this goal,\u201d he told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cOur project proposes to only use the existing 35 acres of developed industrial park land.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project will be required to comply with data center standards<\/a>\u00a0being crafted by the city, Schoennauer said, which are expected to provide protections for the environment and nearby residents. City officials recently released draft standards<\/a>, with final adoption by the City Council expected in December.<\/p>\n Resident Duane Caldwell, who attended the neighborhood association meeting, is concerned how a new data center at the former IBM site could affect wildlife, water and energy use. He said the lighting and noise could drive wildlife into residential areas and also cause residents\u2019 utility bills to increase.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m concerned especially about the IBM Almaden research facility getting rezoned so quickly in order to accommodate a speculative developer who\u2019s going to come in and basically increase the impact on very sensitive foothills,\u201d he said at the meeting.<\/p>\n Councilmembers rezoned the property<\/a> in August, which prompted concern about attracting more data centers<\/a> to the region. While residents and environmental advocates called for the rezoning to be delayed until development plans for the site were known and uniform standards<\/a> established, Casey wanted the land to be economically feasible and saw no reason to delay.<\/p>\n A Blackstart Digital representative previously told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight the industrial park is served by an on-site 25-megawatt substation and houses multiple generations of preexisting data center facilities where the company intends to expand capacity, subject to power availability.<\/p>\n Mahan said residents have reasonable concerns about data centers increasing utility costs, noise and\u00a0pollution.<\/p>\n \u201cI want San Jose to have the strictest (data center) standards in the country,\u201d he said. \u201cRequire 100% clean energy, require using recycled water from the recycled water plant up in North San Jose, or a closed loop system.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rsz_resident_ibm_data_center-1024x771.jpg\")
Resident Duane Caldwell is concerned how a new data center at the former IBM Almaden Research Center could affect wildlife, water and energy use. Photo by Lorraine Gabbert.<\/p>\n
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