Potawatomi Plans to Test Milwaukee’s Data Center Moratorium

Forest County Potawatomi Community s data center at 3135 W. Highland Blvd. The Forest County Potawatomi Community is preparing to expand its Milwaukee data center, setting up what could be the first major test of the city s newly adopted moratorium on data center development. A zoning change application filed with the city proposes a 59,000-square-foot addition to the tribe s existing 46,000-square-foot Data Holdings facility at 3135 W. Highland Blvd. The proposal comes just weeks after the Common Council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new data centers and expansions of existing facilities, a response to growing concerns about the industry s energy consumption, water use, noise and other environmental impacts. But the moratorium includes an exemption for projects that pursue a detailed planned development zoning change, which requires site-specific review and approval by the City Plan Commission and the Common Council. Potawatomi s proposal would use that exemption, seek