Mayor Woodfin’s Wife Denies Role in Nebius Data Center

TL;DR: Kendra Woodfin denies any role in the Nebius data center property deal. Homeowners are seeking her company’s records as the project’s legal fight continues.

Kendra Woodfin, wife of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, denies that she or her real estate company had any role in the property deal behind the highly controversial Nebius data center in Oxmoor Valley.

According to ABC 33/40, her firm, Iron City Premier Realty, filed an objection Oct. 6 to a proposed subpoena from homeowners Robert B. Sansome and Gail Sansome. They are seeking property records from the company and Regions Bank.

Through attorneys at Maxwell, Tillman & Coleman, Woodfin denied involvement in the purchase, sale, financing, brokerage, development, zoning or permitting of the property. Neither she nor her company is a party to the lawsuit.

“She should not be used as collateral damage in anyone’s political or personal dispute,” her attorneys said. They also warned of legal action over false claims about their clients.

Iron City argues that the homeowners have shown no factual link between the company and the transaction. Birmingham has also objected to the subpoena. The filings establish no improper involvement by Woodfin, her company or the Mayor.

The records fight has widened beyond her business. In separate Oct. 6 filings, Nebius, Lakeshore Data Center, Hoar Construction and Birmingham challenged proposed subpoenas to Bradley Arant Boult Cummings and Alabama Power, ABC 33/40 reported.

The defendants say those requests exceed the scope of evidence gathering allowed by the court and could reach protected legal communications. The Alabama Power subpoena includes 24 requests covering zoning, power agreements, engineering studies, project costs and other records.

As of that report, the court had not ruled on those objections. A non-jury trial is set for March 8, 2027, in Jefferson County Circuit Court.

The dispute sits within a broader fight over the project’s permits, public costs and effects on nearby homes. BirminghamWatch reported that residents challenged the city’s zoning decisions and argued that permits issued for the project were invalid.

City leaders have maintained that the project was already far enough along to qualify for an exemption from the city’s data center moratorium and new rules. Residents dispute that position, arguing that Birmingham failed to follow its own zoning code.

A July ruling allowed residents to pursue their request to halt construction. It did not order a full shutdown or decide the case’s merits. The judge also restricted hours for certain noisy work, including rock hammering and pile driving. Homeowners have reported noise and ground vibrations that disrupt life in their homes.

Tax breaks are another point of contention. Former Birmingham school board member Terri Michal filed a separate lawsuit seeking to cancel roughly $3.2 billion in tax abatements. She alleges that the Industrial Development Board violated public meeting rules and lacked authority to grant the breaks.

That report described a planned 300-megawatt facility expected to create 78 permanent jobs, with spending projected at nearly $36 billion over 30 years.

Nebius says the project will bring major benefits. The company projects about $85.7 million in annual tax revenue for Birmingham, Jefferson County and Alabama. It says it will pay for needed power upgrades, use a cooling system that recycles water and control noise so operations do not raise existing background levels.

Those are the company’s projections and commitments. No independent confirmation of these numbers was available as of this writing.

In a September WBHM interview, Nebius spokeswoman Leah Davis also defended the approval process, saying the company followed the normal legal steps for an economic development project in Birmingham.