FAIRFIELD, Ala. (WBRC) – Hundreds of residents packed the Fairfield Civic Center Wednesday night, Aug. 12, to question city leaders and officials from Patmos, the tech company proposing a colocation data center in the city.
For the first time, Patmos revealed the facility would be built inside the former Walmart Supercenter and outlined a timeline to break ground as soon as September.
What Patmos is proposing
Patmos is proposing a colocation data center, where businesses rent space for servers and computer equipment. The company’s founder said Patmos would bring around 50 long-term jobs, plus roughly 120 construction workers during the build.
Residents raised concerns at the meeting about health risks, rising utility bills, and whether the project will benefit their community.
A colocation data center is a smaller type of data center where businesses rent space for server and computer equipment.(WNDU)Power, noise, and environmental impact
Alabama Power said it reviewed the project and confirmed it can support the facility without impacting residents’ power service. Patmos said the only environmental impact is water use.
On noise, one of the biggest concerns raised by residents, Patmos founder John Johnson said generators will be fitted with mufflers, the noisiest equipment will remain inside the building, and the facility will be quieter than the Walmart that previously occupied the site.
The Supercenter Walmart in Fairfield will close on Jan. 28. Source: Damian Johnson/WBRC
“As far as noise goes, you’ll be able to hear a pin drop outside of that building, unless the generator is running, which is very rare, and then you’ll hear the equivalent of a weed wacker,” Johnson said. “The only sound you’ll hear is people going to and from that place to work.”
Fairfield resident Bessie Bell said she came with questions about what the project would mean for the city.
“I want to know for a fact, what will it do? We realize that Fairfield is an older city that needs something, I’m hoping that this data center will push us forward,” Bell said.
City response
Fairfield Mayor Herman Carnes Jr. said the city has not seen major economic development in roughly 15 years. He said he will move forward with transparency and the city’s best interest in mind.
The city council passed a temporary ban on new data center projects last month, but that ban does not apply to Patmos. The council could still vote to approve this project separately.
Patmos also told the crowd it did not ask city leaders to sign a non-disclosure agreement and has no plans to do so.
Timeline
Patmos said it hopes to submit a proposal to the city by the end of August. If approved, construction could start in September, with the first phase completed by January or February 2027 and a larger expansion planned for 2028.
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