Developers pulled the plug on the New Hill Digital Campus near Apex after months of public pushback and zoning uncertainty.
The 190-acre site would have hosted a large data center complex, raising flags on energy and water use, environmental impact, and strain on local fire and public safety resources.
Apex officials had not yet updated zoning rules to explicitly allow data centers, and the developer is effectively waiting to see if a future comprehensive text amendment opens the door.
The mayor pro tem now wants a one-year moratorium on any data center applications or construction to buy time to rewrite the town’s Unified Development Ordinance.
Local opposition was organized and sizable, with more than 5,000 residents signing a petition against the project.
Nearby Chatham County is also pausing data center and crypto-related projects, signaling growing regional resistance to unchecked AI and digital infra buildout.
Worth reading for how community pressure and zoning mechanics can stall GPU-era data center expansion in fast-growing suburbs.
