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Data Center Watch Report · ZIP 35020

Bessemer

Jefferson County

ApprovedZIP 73.7% Blackpop 25,308

Approved (rezoning) — under active litigation. The Bessemer City Council approved rezoning of ~914 acres in April 2026. Lawsuits filed by neighbors and an Endan

Researched: 2026-08-02 · Lead source: Brockovich AI Data Center community map (1 resident report, 2026-04-29) · ZIP demographics: 73.7% Black, pop 25,308 (Census ACS 2023) · County: Jefferson County Status: Approved (rezoning) — under active litigation. The Bessemer City Council approved rezoning of ~914 acres in April 2026. Lawsuits filed by neighbors and an Endangered Species Act petition are pending.

This report is research, not legal, financial, real-estate, or investment advice.

0. Snapshot

Only one resident filed a report from 35020 — dated 2026-04-29, one week after the Bessemer City Council approved the rezoning. That single report sits on top of one of the largest data center proposals in the world.

  • What's approved: "Project Marvel" — a hyperscale data center campus in Bessemer. Reported as 18 buildings, ~4.5 million sq ft, ~1,200 MW, on land near the I-459 / I-20/59 interchange and Rock Mountain Lake Road. Site assembly has been reported at 700 acres, then 914 acres rezoned, then expanded to roughly 1,600 acres / 1,607.42 acres with added buffer land. (Bhamwiki; ABC 3340; WBRC, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Who: Land entity Logistic Land Investments LLC, owned by Atlanta-based TPA Group. In July 2026, QTS Data Centers confirmed it is behind plans for the campus. (Alabama Reflector; WBRC, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Investment figures reported: $14.5 billion (WBRC, July 2026) and $14.9 billion (Tuscaloosa Thread). (WBRC; Tuscaloosa Thread, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • The water fact: the Warrior River Water Authority said it could not provide the requested 2 million gallons per day without "significant upgrades to the existing water system." Other reporting puts potential use at 2–10 million gallons per day. (Inside Climate News; WBHM, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • The transparency fact: a released non-disclosure agreement required city officials to destroy records. It took roughly a year of public-records requests and the threat of a lawsuit before Bessemer released it. (WBHM; SELC, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • The money fact: the project could trigger a 30-year tax abatement worth more than $500 million. Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens told council members they would likely abate more revenue than they would collect. (Alabama Reflector, accessed 2026-08-02)

1. The Facility & Where It Sits

ItemDetailSource
Project nameProject Marvel / Bessemer Hyperscale Data CenterBhamwiki
Land entityLogistic Land Investments LLC (owned by TPA Group, Atlanta)Alabama Reflector
OperatorQTS Data Centers — confirmed July 2026WBRC
LocationNear the I-459 and I-20/59 interchange, inside Bessemer city limits; Rock Mountain Lake Road area; adjacent to the proposed Northern Beltline corridorBhamwiki, ABC 3340
Acreage700 acres (early reporting) → 914 acres rezoned April 2026 → ~1,600 / 1,607.42 acres total with bufferTuscaloosa Thread, ABC 3340, Bhamwiki
Buildings18, each reported at ~250,000 sq ft — described as each larger than an average Walmart SupercenterTuscaloosa Thread, WBHM
Floor area~4.5 million sq ftBhamwiki
Power~1,200 MW (1.2 GW)Bhamwiki, WBRC
Investment$14.5B (WBRC) / $14.9B (Tuscaloosa Thread)both cited
WaterRequested 2 MGD; reporting also cites 2–10 MGD potentialInside Climate News, WBHM

Which side of town, and which side of the county line. The campus sits in the southwest corner of Jefferson County, inside Bessemer's city limits, at the I-459/I-20-59 interchange and along the Northern Beltline corridor. It is on the Bessemer side — that is, in a 73.7% Black city — while the interchange itself is the gateway to the whiter, more affluent suburban ring to the northeast (Hoover, McCalla, Vestavia). Bessemer took the rezoning vote and Bessemer carries the land use; the tax abatement discussion reached the Jefferson County Commission, whose president publicly warned the county would abate more than it collects.

Buffers. Under the revised, expanded plan the developer distributes the same 18 buildings over more land, which reporting describes as producing more open space, wider buffers between the development and nearby homes, and moving construction farther from the Northern Beltline corridor. (WBRC; ABC 3340, accessed 2026-08-02)

Measured distances from the campus boundary to the nearest homes, schools, and churches: Not found as of 2026-08-02. Request the approved site plan from the Bessemer City Clerk (§8).

2. Public Hearings & Notices

DateWhat happenedSource
2025-05Bessemer residents publicly demanded answers about a 4-million-sq-ft data centerAlabama Reflector
2025-07Reporting on potential legal action over environmental impactsInside Climate News
2025-11Center for Biological Diversity joins the fightWBRC
2026-01-20City says plan is changing, adding buffer landWBRC
2026 (pre-April)Planning & Zoning Commission recommends rezoning 914 acresABC 3340
2026-04-21 (Tuesday)Bessemer City Council APPROVES rezoning of ~914 acres. Reported after more than a year of public debate.WBRC, ABC 3340, SELC
2026-04Neighbors file suit claiming zoning changes were discussed without adequate notice and that bald eagles and watercress darters would be harmed. A judge granted a temporary restraining order, leading the council to postpone a vote on a new zoning ordinance.Bhamwiki
2026-07-02QTS confirms it is behind the campusWBRC
2026-07-14Released NDA shows it required officials to destroy recordsWBHM

Council meeting schedule (to watch for future items): planning session the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m.; regular council meetings the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m., Council Chambers, City Hall. (bessemeral.org, accessed 2026-08-02)

Specific rezoning case number: Not found as of 2026-08-02. Request it from the City Clerk.

3. Power

  • Reported load: ~1,200 MW / 1.2 GW. One comparison in reporting: more than ten times the energy used by all residential Birmingham customers combined. (Bhamwiki; WBHM, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Serving utility, new substations, and transmission routes: Not found as of 2026-08-02. Bessemer is in Alabama Power territory; no project-specific substation or line filing was located in this research.
  • Statewide, this is where the ratepayer question is being decided: Alabama PSC Docket 33709, opened 2026-07-08, sets procedures and standards for reviewing Alabama Power's contracts with large-load data center customers — including how incremental costs are calculated, how benefits to other customers are measured, what information is public, and whether the Commission monitors contracts after approval. Initial comments were due 2026-08-06; reply comments 2026-08-21. (Alabama PSC, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • July 2026 reporting: the public can read Alabama Power's data center contract except the parts that could affect bills. (WBRC, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Alabama Power maintains a public page on data centers and bills: https://www.alabamapower.com/tools/data-centers-and-bills.html (accessed 2026-08-02). Treat it as the company's position, not an independent finding.
  • In February 2026, Alabama Senate bills targeted data center incentives and utility regulation. (WBRC, accessed 2026-08-02)

4. Water & Drought

This is the strongest documented constraint on the project.

  • The Warrior River Water Authority said it could not provide the requested flow of 2 million gallons per day without "significant upgrades to the existing water system." (Inside Climate News, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Other reporting places potential use at 2 to 10 million gallons per day. (WBHM, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Who pays for those upgrades: Not found as of 2026-08-02. This is the question to put to the City Council and the Water Authority in writing.
  • Endangered species / receiving waters: The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for Endangered Species Act protection for the Birmingham darter, arguing the species faces extinction due to the proposed data center, and raised concerns for the already-protected watercress darter. Neighbors' April 2026 lawsuit also cites bald eagles and watercress darters. (ABC 3340; Bhamwiki, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Alabama Rivers Alliance maintains a Project Marvel page: https://alabamarivers.org/project-marvel/ (accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Drought: U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 2026-06-30 showed Alabama statewide at 86.32% none / 12.19% D0 / 1.50% D1. Jefferson County-specific status: Not found as of 2026-08-02. Check the live map and the NWS Birmingham drought statements. (U.S. Drought Monitor; NWS Birmingham, accessed 2026-08-02)

5. Population & Who Lives Here

  • ZIP 35020: 73.7% Black, population 25,308 (Census ACS 2023, per the project's demographic dataset).
  • Bessemer is a historically industrial, historically disinvested city in the "Bessemer Cutoff" of southwestern Jefferson County. Verify current population, poverty, and trend at Census QuickFacts — Bessemer city, Alabama and Wikipedia: Bessemer, Alabama. Exact poverty rate and population trend: Not independently verified here as of 2026-08-02.
  • The environmental-justice pattern is visible in the geography: the campus, its 1,200 MW load, and its 2+ MGD water demand land inside a majority-Black city, at the interchange that serves the whiter suburban ring, while the tax abatement decision reaches up to a county commission whose president says the county will lose money on it.

6. Money — Abatements, Incentives, Jobs

  • Potential abatement: a 30-year tax abatement under Alabama's data center economic-development law, described as a tax cut of more than $500 million. (Alabama Reflector, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens told council members the county would likely abate more tax revenue than it would actually collect. (Alabama Reflector, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Statewide, the 30-year term is available only if approved before January 1, 2027; after that Alabama law limits it to 20 years plus a possible 10-year extension. (Yellowhammer News, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Permanent jobs promised: Not found as of 2026-08-02. No verified permanent-headcount figure for Project Marvel was located in public reporting. Ask the City Clerk and the developer for it in writing — that number, against a half-billion-dollar abatement, is the whole trade.
  • Transparency on the deal: the released NDA required officials to destroy records, and several Bessemer officials signed NDAs with developers. SELC called the public-records questions "deeply concerning." (WBHM; SELC, accessed 2026-08-02)

7. Community Reaction & News Coverage

  • A neighbor at the April 2026 council meeting: "This project feels like an invasion." (WBRC, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Litigation: neighbors sued in April 2026, claiming zoning changes were discussed without adequate notice and citing harm to bald eagles and watercress darters. A judge granted a temporary restraining order. (Bhamwiki, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Endangered Species Act petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity for the Birmingham darter. (ABC 3340, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Organizations engaged: Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Alabama Rivers Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity.
  • Developer conduct: Logistic Land Investments has spoken at public meetings but declined interview requests; reporting describes frustration compounded by the NDAs. (ABC 3340, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Officials named in coverage: Bessemer Mayor Kenneth Gulley; Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens. (ABC 3340; Alabama Reflector, accessed 2026-08-02)
  • Outlets covering closely: WBRC, WBHM (NPR Birmingham), ABC 3340 I-Team, Alabama Reflector, Inside Climate News, BirminghamWatch, Bhamwiki.

8. Find Out For Yourself

City of Bessemer

Ask these when you call (205) 424-4060:

  1. The rezoning case number for the ~914-acre April 2026 approval, and a copy of the approved site plan.
  2. How many permanent jobs the developer has committed to in writing.
  3. What the city's agreement says about who pays for the Warrior River Water Authority upgrades.
  4. Copies of all NDAs signed by city officials relating to Project Marvel.

Jefferson County

  • Jefferson County Commission — https://www.jccal.org/ (accessed 2026-08-02). This is where the tax abatement question sits. Commission President: Jimmie Stephens.

Water

  • Warrior River Water Authority — the authority that said it cannot meet the requested 2 MGD without significant upgrades. Direct phone/website: Not found as of 2026-08-02. Ask the City Clerk for the authority's contact and for correspondence between the city and the authority.

State power regulator — file a comment yourself

Organizations

Local news

9. If You're Thinking About Moving Here

An honest read. Not advice.

Bessemer has already made its decision, and it is now in court. The rezoning of roughly 914 acres passed in April 2026. Unlike Prichard or Hayneville, this is not a proposal you can still show up and stop at a hearing — the land-use approval exists, and the open questions are being fought through litigation and endangered-species process.

What that means for a buyer:

  • Noise and light from 18 buildings at ~1,200 MW will be a permanent feature of southwestern Jefferson County. The revised plan added buffer land, which suggests the developer itself expected buffer to be necessary. Verify the actual distance from any parcel you are considering to the campus boundary using the approved site plan.
  • Water is the live risk. The serving authority stated on the record that it cannot deliver the requested 2 MGD without significant upgrades. Who pays for those upgrades is not publicly settled. If the answer turns out to be ratepayers, residential water bills in the service area are the mechanism.
  • Power bills are the second live risk. The PSC is running Docket 33709 specifically because it has not yet been settled how large-load costs get allocated.
  • Property tax base: a 30-year abatement worth reportedly more than $500 million, with the county commission president saying the county will abate more than it collects. Do not assume this development broadens the tax base that funds local schools and services in the near term.
  • Land prices: no published data located. Not found as of 2026-08-02.

What's unresolved as of 2026-08-02: the April 2026 neighbors' lawsuit; the Endangered Species Act petition for the Birmingham darter; the temporary restraining order and the postponed new zoning ordinance; the water-system upgrade cost allocation; the permanent job count; and the terms of the abatement.

The transparency record here is the thing to weigh most heavily. A signed NDA that required public officials to destroy records, released only after roughly a year of requests and a threatened lawsuit, is a reasonable basis for treating every unverified claim about this project with caution — in either direction.

10. Sources

All accessed 2026-08-02.

  1. Bhamwiki, "Bessemer Hyperscale Data Center" — https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Bessemer_Hyperscale_Data_Center (returned HTTP 403 to automated retrieval; content cited via search index)
  2. WBRC, "'This project feels like an invasion': Bessemer council approves major data center rezoning amid community divide" (2026-04-22) — https://www.wbrc.com/2026/04/22/this-project-feels-like-an-invasion-bessemer-council-approves-major-data-center-rezoning-amid-community-divide/
  3. ABC 3340, "Bessemer approves rezoning of 914 acres for 'Project Marvel' data center" — https://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-bessemer-approves-rezoning-of-914-acres-for-project-marvel-data-center-april-2026
  4. ABC 3340 I-Team, "Planning commission recommends rezoning 914 acres for data center in Bessemer" — https://abc3340.com/news/abc-3340-news-iteam/planning-zoning-commission-recommends-rezoning-914-acres-for-data-center-in-bessemer-project-marvel-logistic-land-investments-meeting-tuesday-updated-plans-northern-beltline-data-center-development-jefferson-county-concerns-follow-up
  5. ABC 3340 I-Team, "Data center in Bessemer continues to draw praise, skepticism and growing questions" — https://abc3340.com/news/abc-3340-news-iteam/data-center-in-bessemer-continues-to-draw-praise-skepticism-and-growing-questions-project-marvel-logistic-land-investments-development-mayor-kenneth-gulley-data-center-impact-environmental-concerns-zoning-plans-northern-beltline-follow-up
  6. ABC 3340 I-Team, "'We have to act fast': Petition filed to protect rare fish from proposed data center" — https://abc3340.com/news/abc-3340-news-iteam/we-have-to-act-fast-petition-filed-to-protect-rare-fish-from-proposed-data-center-bessemer-jefferson-county-center-for-biological-diversity-environment-health
  7. SELC, "Bessemer City Council greenlights controversial data center rezoning" — https://www.selc.org/press-release/bessemer-city-council-greenlights-controversial-data-center-rezoning/
  8. SELC, "Bessemer's data center non-disclosure agreement raises 'deeply concerning' public records questions" — https://www.selc.org/press-release/bessemers-data-center-non-disclosure-agreement-raises-deeply-concerning-public-records-questions/
  9. WBHM, "Document shows Bessemer data center non-disclosure agreement required officials to destroy records" (2026-07-14) — https://www.wbhm.org/local-news/2026-07-14/document-shows-bessemer-data-center-non-disclosure-agreement-required-officials-to-destroy-records
  10. WBRC, "QTS confirms plans for proposed data center campus in Bessemer" (2026-07-02) — https://www.wbrc.com/2026/07/02/qts-confirms-plans-proposed-data-center-campus-bessemer/
  11. WBRC, "Bessemer says controversial data center plan is changing, adding 'buffer' land" (2026-01-20) — https://www.wbrc.com/2026/01/20/bessemer-says-controversial-data-center-plan-is-changing-adding-buffer-land/
  12. WBRC, "National conservation group joining fight against proposed data center" (2025-11-14) — https://www.wbrc.com/2025/11/14/national-conservation-group-joining-fight-against-proposed-data-center/
  13. Alabama Reflector, "How could a proposed hyperscale data center affect Bessemer?" (2025-07-27) — https://alabamareflector.com/2025/07/27/how-could-a-proposed-hyperscale-data-center-affect-bessemer/
  14. Alabama Reflector, "Bessemer residents want answers about 4 million square foot data center coming to city" (2025-05-14) — https://alabamareflector.com/2025/05/14/bessmer-residents-want-answers-about-4-million-square-foot-data-center-coming-to-city/
  15. Inside Climate News, "Water Utility Says It Can't Meet Demand for Alabama Data Center Without 'Significant Upgrades'" (2025-07-12) — https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12072025/bessemer-alabama-water-utility-data-center-upgrades/
  16. Inside Climate News, "Bessemer, Alabama, Could Face Legal Action Over Environmental Impacts From a 'Hyperscale' Data Center" (2025-07-14) — https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14072025/bessemer-alabama-data-center-environmental-impact-potential-legal-action/
  17. Inside Climate News, "Alabamians Want Answers About a Four-Million-Square-Foot Data Center Coming to Their Backyards" (2025-05-11) — https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11052025/bessemer-alabama-proposed-data-center/
  18. Alabama Rivers Alliance, Project Marvel — https://alabamarivers.org/project-marvel/
  19. Tuscaloosa Thread, "How Will Project Marvel Affect Bessemer And Surrounding Areas?" — https://tuscaloosathread.com/bessemer-data-center-concerns/
  20. Data Center Dynamics, "'Project Marvel' data center could come to Bessemer, Alabama" — https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/project-marvel-data-center-could-come-to-bessemer-alabama/
  21. City of Bessemer, City Clerk — https://bessemeral.org/departments/city-clerk
  22. City of Bessemer, City Council — https://www.bessemeral.org/city-council-2/
  23. City of Bessemer, City Clerk contact form — https://www.bessemeral.org/community-development/city-clerk-contact-form/
  24. MuckRock, Bessemer City Clerk records agency — https://www.muckrock.com/agency/bessemer-755/city-clerk-36562/
  25. Jefferson County Commission — https://www.jccal.org/
  26. Alabama PSC, Docket 33709 — https://psc.alabama.gov/docket-33709-public-comment-and-reply-info/
  27. WBRC, "Public can read Alabama Power's data center contract, just not parts that could affect bill" (2026-07-30) — https://www.wbrc.com/2026/07/30/public-can-read-alabama-powers-data-center-contract-just-not-parts-that-could-affect-bill/
  28. WBRC, "Alabama Senate bills target data center incentives, utility regulation" (2026-02-05) — https://www.wbrc.com/2026/02/05/alabama-senate-bills-target-data-center-incentives-utility-regulation/
  29. Alabama Power, "Data Centers and Bills" — https://www.alabamapower.com/tools/data-centers-and-bills.html
  30. U.S. Drought Monitor, Alabama — https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?AL
  31. NWS Birmingham drought information statements — https://www.weather.gov/bmx/droughtinformationstatement
  32. Census QuickFacts, Bessemer city, Alabama — https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/bessemercityalabama
  33. Wikipedia, Bessemer, Alabama — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessemer,_Alabama
  34. Data Center Map, Logistic Land Investments LLC / Project Marvel — https://www.datacentermap.com/usa/alabama/birmingham/logistic-land-investments-llc/

Lead source: resident reports on the Brockovich AI Data Center community map, then independently verified against public records. Research, not legal, financial, real-estate, or investment advice. Some resident-reported pins remain uncorroborated and are labeled as such above.