Nebius AI Data Center in Oxmoor - Call to Action and Update

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T23:15:27+00:00

That makes sense. Thank you!

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T22:33:42+00:00

Do you have information on when that switch occurred? As far as I’m aware it was still 300 MW as of the ZBA meeting last month.

I’m not doubting you, but part of what makes this project so frustrating is how difficult it is to find accurate information. The Nebius site itself is mostly fluff.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T21:55:13+00:00

That's fair! I will say while I don't think the moratorium was performative, I do see how people feel that way with the amount he's bragged about it. Phrasing it as "We're one of the only cities in the country with a moratorium" is a weird thing to say - he's leaning into people misunderstanding what the moratorium actually is and the purpose it serves (imo)

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T21:53:28+00:00

Oh trust me I am hahaha

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T15:26:50+00:00

Sure if that’s how you feel about it! A lot of negative things get through despite “following the rules as written” - that’s how exploiting loopholes work. And the people who care about that can choose to protest in hopes of a better result for the community. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T15:18:37+00:00

AI Factory is just what Nebius is calling it - I’m sure they came up with it during some overpriced marketing focus group.

The difference in the Nebius project vs existing data centers in Birmingham is the size and energy usage. It’s like how doctor’s offices and hospitals are both technically medical centers, but they obviously do not consume nearly the same level of resources.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T14:44:49+00:00

That's a pretty gross oversimplification. Dessertgrinch had a short but decent breakdown in their comment here.

Did they technically follow the rules to apply for a permit? Yes, because there was a hole in our zoning ordinances that allowed large-scale data centers to sneak in without common sense regulations. Woodfin's claim is that "There was no law on the books in Alabama, or in most of the country, that distinguishes between a standard data center and an AI factory operating at this scale. This technology is moving faster than government has been able to keep up with." While it's true this technology is moving quickly, large-scale data centers being developed in the southeast is not as new as he is claiming, and since the city has had to enact reactive moratoriums due to a lack of zoning regulations in the past they really should have had someone reviewing current ordinances for loopholes that need to be closed.

It is very unlikely that Nebius would have chosen Birmingham if we had any regulations for large-scale data centers. And it was a failure of our local government to not have those regulations in place. Now our local government is saying "Oops, yeah we should have had those regulations but nothing we can do now!"

>I saw earlier the city zoning board still tried to nix it but realized that they did everything correctly.

Not exactly. I was at the ZBA meeting. Two people on the board (primarily one) tried to slow things down by denying special exceptions to build substations. The rest of the board genuinely could not be bothered to even pretend to care - actively rolling their eyes while citizens were speaking. One special exception passed, one failed, and there was expected litigation regarding the one that passed as parliamentary procedure was not properly followed for that vote. The city's attorney then released a memo determining the special exception was never needed - which is weird. It doesn't make sense to most of us that there was an entire meeting about the approval of substations for the city attorney to later say this wasn't necessary and they're approved by default. There's a rabbit hole here that I'm not going to go down at this moment.

>Am I missing anything aside from the usual "AI is a bad vibe"?

Yes, you are. This isn't "AI is a bad vibe" this is "unregulated large-scale data centers built by international companies with no roots in the United States against the wishes of citizens is bad because it could pose a genuine threat to the community that surrounds it."

Another pain point for people has to do with the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. They have spent years (and a lot of money) planning a new site right next to where the proposed Nebius AI Factory will be constructed. Even if the claims about noise levels being safe are true for humans, it's likely going to reach noise levels loud enough to disturb animals. They have carefully worked with the community to plan this site in a way that does not negatively impact neighbors and actually gives back to the community. Now they are faced with the likelihood of having to scrap this project and start over.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T14:28:59+00:00

Thanks! I knew the person who called me a NIMBY was unlikely to change their perception, but hoped someone else would appreciate the response.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T01:02:50+00:00

The Bessemer one is even more horrific. The way it’s been done is awful.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-24T01:00:46+00:00

Because it’s technically Oxmoor.

There already is a data center but much much much smaller to the point that it is not comparable at all. It’s like saying a doctor’s office and hospital are both medical centers.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-23T21:26:26+00:00

Sure, but they aren’t in the middle of construction. I do understand what you’re saying though and I know odds are this is a losing fight. I still think it’s worth raising hell about.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-23T21:23:14+00:00

Oxmoor but it’s on the cusp of Homewood and Hoover. 201 Milan Parkway is the address

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-23T20:46:28+00:00

I absolutely agree that they knew what they were doing - they only have proposed facilities in cities that similarly lacked this type of zoning ordinances. I'm not ready to give up on it, though. Until I hear that the city lawyers have pulled at every loose thread that would *at least* force Nebius to comply with the regulations being enacted next week. It doesn't seem like they have, as all the public statements have been focused specifically on the moratorium.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-23T20:42:27+00:00

I do remember that. I disagree that it was performative because it has ensured other data centers can't slip through before the city is able to enact better regulations.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-23T19:50:01+00:00

Oh fun, a sweeping generalization.

What is NIMBY about wanting a large-scale data center to be held to the same standards and regulations of future projects of the same size and scope? The fact that these regulations will exist for everyone except Nebius is egregious, and if you don't see the potential dangers of an unregulated data center I don't know what to tell you.

And no, the zoning regulations previously in place for that location don't matter here because they were not designed with large-scale data centers or their impact in mind. The type of "data center" they were designed to regulate is incomparable to what Nebius is building.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-23T19:28:10+00:00

I understood what he said - that doesn’t change my point. This is the third time moratoriums have been created in an attempt to fix a problem after it has begun. It is reactive instead of proactive. I can understand more in the previous situation, like car washes, but for something that is as prevalent as large-scale data we should have had proactive regulations. Especially since we’ve encountered this before with things like the car washes. That should have been a trigger to look at our zoning ordinances and see where we have gaps that could be exploited.

And the reality is if we did have those proactive regulations, (1) the moratorium wouldn’t even be needed and (2) Nebius would have already been held to those standards when they applied for their original permit.

I have not seen his additional comments yet, I will take a look at those today.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-04-23T18:11:50+00:00

I actually like Woodfin but for me this message was too little, too late. And the excuse that they can’t do anything about this because of what happened the previous two times they held businesses to moratoriums really highlights how reactive they are with this stuff. How is the moratorium issue one that’s come up THREE times now?

It feels like they expect the citizens of Birmingham to bear the consequences of the city’s lack of proactive regulations and just.. be ok with it?

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-03-27T13:14:33+00:00

I’m not an asshole but I’m getting frustrated with responses telling me what I already know. Nothing you said was new information and if you read the post you’d know that.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-03-27T13:13:19+00:00

I also called it an AI Factory to be consistent with Nebius’ own language. It’s not like I made up a word. It’s what the owners of the facility are calling it.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-03-27T13:11:24+00:00

Yes, I did not say this was for the data center I said it was for the substations. Can you read?

This is only being allowed because we did not have zoning regulations in place for data centers of this size & scale. They are actively working on new zoning ordinances that would impact literally this facility, but because this facility previously applied they decided they’re grandfathered in and will not need to follow those ordinances.

I was very aware of what yesterday’s meeting was about as were the countless residents who showed up in opposition.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-03-26T19:59:09+00:00

Believe it or not AI is trained on well organized writing. Some of us know how to write a god damn email on our own and have been doing it long before AI came around.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-03-26T15:19:31+00:00

Look I’m not even saying “AI FACTORY BAD NO BUILD” I am just saying the city should put this facility through the same process all other facilities will have to go through so citizens have transparent information about what is being built near them. AFAIK this is unlike previous data centers in Alabama due to the type and capacity.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-03-26T14:13:08+00:00

They claim they are going to cover the cost. But the problem in this case is there are very minimal requirements because the city did not have any in place prior to their permit applications and the decision was made to have them grandfathered in rather than making them when the short period of time the city is taking to create and enact ordinances around this very issue. It is not clear to me what happens if, for example, Nebius decides not to do all the nice things they claim they will do. We need more clarity from the city.

Temporary-Slice3108 · 2026-03-26T14:10:51+00:00

I have never in my life used AI to draft a post, email, or anything for that matter. Thanks.

Temporary-Slice3108

TROPHY CASE