Emotions remain high over plans for a proposed AI data center in the city of Prichard, but Wednesday night’s community forum, held at city hall, wasn’t about taking sides, it was about giving residents information.
“Because I know, like you just say, living in fear or not knowing that makes you apprehensive about anything,” District 5 Councilman Roy Smith said. “And if you, that’s why we’re in the state that we are in because we keep on moving on hearsay and not the facts. Until it’s too late, then we look back and say, ‘oh man, why didn’t we do this?'”
One of the biggest questions centered around whether the city can stop the development altogether. The council’s Attorney, Moshae Donald, explained there are essentially two paths leaders could pursue if and when the project starts taking shape. One option is a temporary moratorium, giving the city time to try to rezone the property that’s currently zoned for industrial use, but she cautioned that route could expose the city to legal challenges and potential litigation…