QTS Pushes Back on Bessemer Data Center Pause
Company cites city permits, seeks to delay meeting with Mayor Louise Alexander and denies plans to expand Project Marvel
TL;DR: QTS says its Bessemer data center work is permitted and wants to postpone a meeting with the Mayor. The company also says nearby home purchases are voluntary and won’t expand the campus.
QTS is pushing back against Bessemer Mayor Louise Alexander’s effort to pause work on Project Marvel, saying site development is proceeding under city-approved permits. The company also asked to postpone an Oct. 23 meeting with the new Mayor.
In an Oct. 20 letter to Alexander, QTS Chief External Affairs Officer Theo Yedinsky said the company wants a clearer outline of her questions before meeting. He proposed rescheduling in the coming weeks.
The response follows Alexander’s call to halt work while her administration reviews the project. WBRC reported that nearby residents have complained about loud blasting and pressed city leaders for help. Alexander said she would consider legal action to protect them.
The Mayor also said her review had found no development contract with QTS, only a nondisclosure agreement. She said the city had neither requested money nor waived fees.
QTS addressed another concern head-on: whether offers to buy nearby homes signal a larger project.
“To be clear, QTS has no plans to expand the campus,” Yedinsky wrote in the company’s letter. QTS said homeowners are free to reject purchase offers. Homes it buys would remain residential and could house employees working on the project.
That assurance comes as some neighbors weigh leaving homes they have owned for decades. ABC 33/40 reported that Tina Mann, who built her home with her husband in 1992, was considering an offer. The station had not independently confirmed whether the broker approaching residents represented QTS.
The company also pointed to its $8 million Bessemer Built Scholarship Program for eligible Bessemer City High School graduates. QTS said it has not sought tax incentives from the city.
On Oct. 22, QTS supplied ABC 33/40 with copies of permits it says authorize the work underway. The documents add to the company’s response, but the dispute over the project’s impact on nearby homes remains unresolved.
