A proposal to convert a building in Pinellas Park into a small data center is in the early stages of review.
Councilmember Ricky Butler said the site, located behind Bryan Dairy Road and Belcher, is not planned as an AI data center. He expressed concern about the city’s lack of an established code for such facilities and uncertainty over maintenance requirements.
The discussion comes as data center projects are being considered in several Tampa Bay counties and as the topic gains national attention. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor has introduced the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require state regulators to prevent community members from covering costs for infrastructure upgrades serving large-load customers like data centers.
Butler said the proposed site would be relatively small and likely not meet the scale addressed in the bill. He emphasized that the project remains in the preliminary phase.
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