Council delays technology overlay after heated public debate over proposed 'Project Ruby' data center

Columbus City Council voted April 14 to delay the first reading of proposed amendments to a technology overlay that would enable large data‑center development, after dozens of residents and interest groups gave testimony for and against a proposed hyperscale site often referred to by speakers as "Project Ruby." The delay gives staff and council additional time to review technical questions raised by the public.

The motion, made by council and adopted on the floor, authorized a 45‑day pause on first reading so councilmembers, city staff and outside reviewers can study the overlay language and the developer's proposals. The vote followed a tightly packed public comment period in which speakers urged both a pause and independent study and others pressed for the economic opportunities data centers can bring.

Opponents urged more independent analysis, a citizens' committee, and a possible moratorium before a final vote. Sophia Rother, a Columbus State University environmental science student, said she walked out of a developer town hall "with more questions than answers" and urged council to pause the vote and create a committee or put the overlay on the ballot. Environmental and river‑recreation concerns were repeatedly raised: speakers questioned whether local water supplies and river recreation could be affected if multiple centers locate in the area.

Public commenters also pressed specifics about resource use and public impacts. One speaker cited an estimate of roughly 330,000 gallons per day of water demand and quoted a city‑energy figure from testimony that a hypothetical buildout could require hundreds of megawatts of power — figures speakers said merited independent verification. The council did not adopt technical numbers itself; those figures were presented by witnesses and participants in testimony and remain subject to confirmation.

Supporters of the proposal or of allowing the overlay to proceed argued the development could bring jobs, construction spending and tax benefits. Gregory Foster, a retired peace officer, called opposition to the data center a "con job," saying the projects bring major investment and could help people in poverty by expanding local economic activity.

Councilmembers said the 45‑day delay is intended to let staff, the Planning Advisory Committee recommendations and the community work through unresolved technical and fiscal issues. "We'll bring that back in May," a council member said after the vote. The council did not take a final vote to adopt the overlay amendments on April 14.

Next steps: the delay window allows staff to solicit outside technical review, gather independent decommissioning and infrastructure cost estimates if requested, and consider PAC recommendations about committee formation. Members of the public at the hearing urged council to require clear decommissioning bonds, independent verification of water and power demands, and establishment of a residential connection assist fund before any permits are issued.