According to prior reporting by The Dallas Morning News, the facility is owned by a company <\/a>associated with cryptocurrency mining and comprises three roughly 300-square-foot buildings. Work began in 2024 and was completed in 2025, and the operator is currently waiting for certificates of occupancy, The News reported.<\/p>\n The Dallas-Fort Worth area has become the world\u2019s largest hub of data center development <\/a>amid an explosion in the AI sector. Over 240 facilities operate in the Dallas area<\/a>, with at least two dozen operating in city limits alone. More are planned, and North Texans are starting to push back against the disruption these facilities are perceived to cause in their communities. Concerns include water supply amid persistent droughts, the strain the facilities put on local electric grids and the disruptive noise emanating from computer cooling systems.<\/p>\n Sign up for the This Week\u2019s Top Stories newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox<\/p>\n THANK YOU!<\/p>\n You’re all set.<\/p>\n CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Polling by the Texas Politics Project at The University of Texas at Austin shows that most Texans<\/a> are concerned about the growth of data centers in Texas, with 56% of respondents saying they would oppose the development of one in their neighborhood.<\/p>\n Residents with Justice for Joppa said the development blindsided them at a press conference Thursday. They want the city to take action, but more than anything, speakers called for the community to have a say.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not here today to point the finger at anyone,\u201d Emmanuel Davis, a resident and co-chair of Justice for Joppa, said. \u201cWe\u2019re here today just pleading and begging to be a part of the process.\u201d<\/p>\n Popping up<\/p>\n Brandon Bell\/Getty Images<\/p>\n At the press conference, which began with a moment of silence as a TV speaker blared noise organizers said was reminiscent of what they hear every day, it became clear that much of the frustration stemmed from how the data center was allowed to enter their community in the first place.<\/p>\n Under the city\u2019s current building code, data centers can be built by right in most non-residential or commercial areas. That means operators and contractors can proceed with projects without a public hearing or approval from the city\u2019s zoning commission, largely removing public input and governmental guardrails from the process.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have any type of zoning that allows for warehouses for utilities, you can have this nearby,\u201d Caleb Roberts, executive director of local environmental group Downwinders at Risk, said. \u201cYou can have this next door. That can pop up without any permit, without any oversight, without any conversation with the community.\u201d<\/p>\n On Sept. 16, five Dallas City Council members submitted a memo<\/a> to Mayor Eric Johnson requesting a record vote on a moratorium for data center development in Dallas. The move came after Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide moratorium on data center development and called for an audit on their use of the state\u2019s electrical grid in early August. Other cities are taking similar steps; Fort Worth recently approved a 90-day pause on data center development, and the Austin City Council is also pursuing tighter development regulation. San Marcos became the first Texas city to approve an overarching ban on new facilities in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Dallas, Oak Cliff council member Chad West wrote that existing regulations were \u201cinadequate to prevent the new development from being detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare of the residents.\u201d The moratorium, the memo explained, is designed to allow the city to reconsider its existing regulations and building codes to better control the proliferation of data centers. The process could lead to new requirements, such as a new land use designation or requiring special use permits for the centers, both of which would require public hearings and city approval before projects can begin.<\/p>\n But Roberts said Joppa is still worried about being shut out of the discussion.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has been no indication that the citizens of Dallas will be engaged in that process,\u201d Roberts, who called for a citizen advisory committee, said. \u201cWe have yet to hear that any of these residents have been contacted to see how a data center impacts them, and we think that\u2019s a necessary part of any growth and development of this city. Communities need to be a part of that discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Basic human decency\u2019<\/p>\n Residents of the small neighborhood, founded as a freedmen\u2019s town in 1872, said they are used to being ignored by city officials. Referencing persistent quality-of-life issues such as crime and lack of infrastructure, resident Andrew Martin said he has \u201cnever seen a community disrespected the way Joppa is being disrespected.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re left begging the city for basic human decency, law enforcement, and respect,\u201d Martin said. \u201cAnd as if we haven\u2019t dealt with enough disrespect, it\u2019s reaching a peak level now.\u201d<\/p>\n Martin also said that to leave the neighborhood, people must pass a concrete plant and other industrial facilities. The neighborhood is bordered to the west by a large industrial district, and environmental issues have been documented as negatively impacting residents\u2019 health. A Texas A&M study found that those living<\/a> in the area are exposed to air pollution at a rate two to three times higher than other Dallas residents. The study also found that residents suffer from respiratory illnesses at significantly higher rates than the rest of the city.<\/p>\n Dallas officials have considered shuttering plants and are reviewing zoning around the community to address the long-term environmental effects of heavy industry. The process will include community input through a public hearing process.<\/p>\n Alicia Kendrick, an organizer with Downwinders at Risk, said the industrialization fight has become a \u201cmoral issue\u201d about communities\u2019 right to determine their future. She added that the same concern applies to the data center controversy.<\/p>\n \u201cThis data center popped up overnight, and within maybe two weeks, it has been up in Dallas,\u201d Kendrick said. \u201cWho knew? And if there is no accountability and there\u2019s no notification, there\u2019s no way to fight back. Again, who has the right to self-determine and who does not? And right now, we are demanding the right to self-determine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018About balance\u2019<\/p>\n![\"power](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/gettyimages-2149024388-e1778584666448.webp\")
North Texans might prepare to see 3,000 more miles of powerlines to handle the energy demands of data centers.<\/p>\n