Indianapolis orders east-side data-center construction to stop over missing permits

Indianapolis ordered work to stop at the proposed DC BLOX data-center campus on the city’s east side after inspectors found site activity underway without required permits.

The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issued the stop-work order on September 10, 2026, for 305 Fintail Drive in Thunderbird Commerce Park, according to public records reported by IndyStar. The action followed a complaint received September 9 and a city inspection the next day.

What inspectors found

Inspectors found dirt placement and foundation leveling underway without required drainage and improvement-location permits. The order applies to Thunderbird CC Land Partners, the property owner identified in the reported records.

Several permits for the property were listed as in review. That status does not mean construction authorization had been granted. Permit applications still must be approved before the related work can proceed.

The city’s permitting and code-enforcement systems distinguish land-use or development approval from the permits required for physical construction. The stop-work action concerns the activity observed at the site and does not, by itself, cancel the proposed project.

Separate from July development approval

The enforcement action is separate from the Metropolitan Development Commission’s July approval of the proposed campus. WFYI reported that the approved plan calls for two buildings after DC BLOX scaled back an earlier three-building proposal.

The July decision addressed the project’s land-use approval. It did not replace the drainage, improvement-location and other construction-related permits needed before physical site work could proceed.

Project remains contested

The proposed campus remains the subject of a lawsuit involving east-side groups, property owners and Irvington Community Elementary. Chalkbeat Indiana reported that the school is about 850 feet from the proposed campus and is among the plaintiffs challenging the project.

Those legal and neighborhood disputes are separate from the city’s permitting enforcement. The stop-work order does not resolve the lawsuit or the broader debate over whether the data center should be built near the school and surrounding neighborhoods.

What happens next

The available reporting did not make clear how long the order will remain in effect or what specific compliance deadline applies. The immediate question is whether the property owner brings the site into compliance and whether the city releases, modifies or lifts the order.

Residents should watch the city’s permit and enforcement records for updates tied to 305 Fintail Drive, along with further court filings in the lawsuit. For now, construction activity at the proposed campus has been ordered to stop because the required site permits were not in place for the work inspectors observed.

Sources

• Indianapolis halts work at east side data center over lack of permits
• City of Indianapolis permits and licenses
• East side data center wins approval, despite community opposition
• Irvington data center poses health concerns for school community — and could also impact enrollment