Minneapolis committee advances data-center moratorium after hearing

Minneapolis took another step toward pausing new data-center development this week after the Business, Housing & Zoning Committee recommended an interim moratorium following a public hearing on June 16, 2026. MPR News reported the committee voted 5-1 on June 17. The proposal is still a recommendation, not a final ban.

The ordinance would add a new Chapter 597 to the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances and create an interim moratorium on the establishment, re-establishment, or expansion of data center uses. The stated goal is to give the city time to write clearer rules for a land-use category that has raised questions about site planning, utility demand, water use, noise, and neighborhood fit.

Why Minneapolis is looking at it now

Data centers are increasingly a zoning and infrastructure issue, not just a technology story. Minneapolis officials are trying to decide how the city should handle future projects before new regulations are finished. A June 12 MPR News report said broader Minnesota data-center regulations were halted after pushback from unions and industry, adding to the local pressure to act.

What to watch next

For residents, the question is whether data centers should be treated like standard industrial buildings or as a use that needs more review. For developers and property owners, the committee action is a permitting signal, not a final shutdown. The ordinance still needs further city action before any temporary pause takes effect.

If the council continues the measure, Minneapolis could soon have a temporary hold in place while staff and elected officials work on a longer-term rulebook for data-center uses.

Sources

• City of Minneapolis legislative file for the moratorium
• Finance & Commerce public hearing notice
• MPR News coverage on Minneapolis data-center action