The rezoning at 2900 S. National Ave. has prompted speculation and rumors aplenty after plans for a potential basement-level data center were revealed. While the rezoning for a veterinary clinic at the property was set to go before the Springfield Planning & Zoning Commission on Oct. 15 after postponement, the application has now been withdrawn.
The property at 2900 S. National Ave. has been at the center of conversation amid Springfield's data center regulation review process. The property is owned by Trent Overhue, under the NSI A1 LLC. Overhue has been behind other data center projects in the region. Pre-development meetings with the city showed Overhue's plans for a data center in the basement level of one of the buildings with offices on the main
floor.
A rezoning application had been submitted for 2900 S. National Ave. to be rezoned to C-MX2, commercial mixed-use community district, to allow a veterinary clinic in one of the buildings, without any mention of data centers. After the rezoning was requested to be postponed until the Oct. 15 P&Z meeting, Overhue shared on Facebook that he had never greenlit a full rezoning of the property but rather an application for conditional allowance of a veterinary clinic so a tenant could move in while he proceeded with his original data center plan.
Springfield is amid an administrative pause on data center developments to allow city staff to come up with a framework of regulations for such projects. The process has included seeking public feedback, much of which has remained critical of data center proposals and skeptical of any benefit they may provide to the city. While the moratorium is set to expire in mid-November, Springfield City Council is likely to extend it to allow additional time for regulation review.
Currently, the property is zoned for planned development, a uniquely crafted zoning district with tailored requirements which in this case include "data processing services" under the subsection of Administrative and Professional Offices in the list of permitted uses. Overhue has argued this means a data center is already allowed there under current zoning while city staff disagree. Last month, Overhue filed a lawsuit against the city seeking to invalidate the city's current moratorium on data centers.
On Thursday, Oct. 1, the previously posted zoning notices had been removed from the property and city's chief spokesperson Cora Scott confirmed to the News-Leader that the application for the rezoning has been pulled at the request of the applicant. Overhue could not be reached for comment prior to publication.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Application for controversial Springfield rezoning withdrawn
