Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
“Take it back.”
“It’s time to recognize the failure of the process.”
“Shut it down.”
“We want to know how to stop it.”
“Mayor Mike Johnson, why aren’t you here right now?”
These were the words of fury coming from community members gathered Tuesday night at a community space in the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea neighborhood.
Roughly 400 people showed up to ask questions and demand answers about the approval of the Coresite data center being built in the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea area. The neighborhood is one of the most polluted zip codes in the country and has long been a dumping ground for heavy industry, manufacturing, railroad tracks and the expansion of freeways.
Denver City Council member Darrel Watson, as well as representatives from Xcel Energy, Denver Water, Denver’s Community Planning and Development department and Denver Department of Public Health and Environment attended and answered questions from those in attendance.
Phase 1 of the data center was approved by the city’s planning department and is currently under construction. Due to existing zoning for the area, which is zoned for general industrial use, it did not require approval by the city council or the pubic.
“I have family members who are sick because of the pollution and I’d like to know who gave these permits,” one resident asked during the meeting.
Due to pressure and outrage from residents, earlier this week Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and the Denver City Council announced a moratorium on all further data center development in the city. They have asked for time to develop new regulations, environmental safeguards and zoning requirements for data centers.
Reporting by Andrea Kramar
#datacenters #globevilleelyriaswansea
“Take it back.”
“It’s time to recognize the failure of the process.”
“Shut it down.”
“We want to know how to stop it.”
“Mayor Mike Johnson, why aren’t you here right now?”
These were the words of fury coming from community members gathered Tuesday night at a community space in the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea neighborhood.
Roughly 400 people showed up to ask questions and demand answers about the approval of the Coresite data center being built in the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea area. The neighborhood is one of the most polluted zip codes in the country and has long been a dumping ground for heavy industry, manufacturing, railroad tracks and the expansion of freeways.
Denver City Council member Darrel Watson, as well as representatives from Xcel Energy, Denver Water, Denver’s Community Planning and Development department and Denver Department of Public Health and Environment attended and answered questions from those in attendance.
Phase 1 of the data center was approved by the city’s planning department and is currently under construction. Due to existing zoning for the area, which is zoned for general industrial use, it did not require approval by the city council or the pubic.
“I have family members who are sick because of the pollution and I’d like to know who gave these permits,” one resident asked during the meeting.
Due to pressure and outrage from residents, earlier this week Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and the Denver City Council announced a moratorium on all further data center development in the city. They have asked for time to develop new regulations, environmental safeguards and zoning requirements for data centers.
Reporting by Andrea Kramar
#datacenters #globevilleelyriaswansea
