Denver City Council unanimously passes 1-year pause on construction of data centers

The Denver City Council unanimously voted to pass a moratorium to halt the construction of data centers for the next year after several hours of community testimony on Monday night. 

There are around 50 data centers already in Denver, but for many of those who spoke, including city council members, a pause isn't enough. They want to see an outright ban on any future construction. It's considered one of the most polluted zip codes in America.

"I have walked into a kindergarten classroom when there were 60 kindergartners, and every single one of them had inhalers," said former Commerce City Council member Renée Chacon during a press conference against the construction of data centers. 

According to a 2025 community health study, the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods have a 24% higher death rate than the Denver average. 

"The Purina factory, the Suncor refinery, these have emitted many contaminants that are creating adult illnesses, including cancer," added an Elyria-Swansea community member.

Now, Denver's largest data center calls it home. A few steps away, the neighborhood's only park and community rec center, the views from above show smokestacks in either direction. 

"We have a lot of companies in just District 9, and to me it feels like out of sight, out of mind for the city of Denver, and they, for years, have ignored us."

And now, these communities are front and center in the fight against new construction. 

"Why is it that it has to be built in a low-income area?" asked Joseph Herrera, a resident of Globeville. "They think that we're not going to say anything."

However, there are residents who experience a different side of the construction and are against a potential outright ban. 

"Data centers are a four-letter word right now, and people don't like them for various reasons," said Julian Aguilar, who represents the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union number 68. "But everybody likes their phone, everybody likes going on YouTube, going on Instagram, Snapchat, whatever app that they really like, and that's all powered by a data center, right?"

"We had 220 members working on the CoreSight facility this past year, and we would like to see them work on more facilities in the city of Denver," Aguilar added.

With the passing of the moratorium, the fight for many is just beginning. 

The city council is now building a task force to come up with policy recommendations for the future construction of data centers. If their work isn't done within a year, they will consider amending the ordinance to allow for more time. 

With its passing, the moratorium will also halt the construction of two additional planned buildings within the CoreSite facility in Elyria-Swansea. Those buildings will also be subject to any future regulations.