The city council approves the establishment of development plan E 58 between Marienburgstrasse and Industriestrasse
In Eberstadt, the planning permissions for a new data center are to be granted. The Darmstadt city council approved the development plan E 58 for the area between Marienburgstrasse and Industriestrasse on August 26. The plan envisions a campus for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI).
The development plan is intended to accommodate the data center as well as the necessary ancillary technical facilities and infrastructure. It also includes provisions for further commercial uses, green spaces, and development areas.
“The development plan E 58 takes into account the increasing importance of high-performance data centers for digitalization, public services, and a future-proof and competitive economy in the region,” explains City Planning Director Paul Georg Wandrey. AI and computing power are key technologies for the future. “The high-performance infrastructure required for these technologies is, of course, also needed in Germany, and not just in the USA, China, and India.”
The existing development plan is insufficient
The planning area is located in a predominantly commercial area in western Eberstadt. In the immediate vicinity, in addition to commercial areas, there are residential developments, the Darmstadt correctional facility, a railway line, the A5 motorway, and wooded areas.
The area is currently governed by the legally binding development plan E 18.1 "Marienburg-/Industriestraße Nord", which has been in effect since June 1982. However, this plan does not permit the planned data center in its intended size. According to the city, the permitted building density and the size of the existing building plots are insufficient for the project.
The area covered by the new development plan E 58 therefore supersedes the previous development plan. In addition, a property in the southeast, which was previously only partially included, is now fully incorporated into the plan.
Waste heat is to be used for heating
The data center is to be built according to the state of the art at the time of the building application and operated in the most resource-efficient and energy-efficient manner possible. The waste heat generated during operation also plays a role in this.
According to the plans, this energy source will be used as a resource and contribute to a secure, cost-effective, and sustainable heat supply in the vicinity of the data center. The city states that the project developer supports the goal of fully utilizing this potential.
The project will also be included in the urban development concept for data centers currently being developed by the city.
The city council still needs to decide
The city has already prepared an urban development contract for the project as a so-called "basic approval" according to Section 11 of the Building Code. This has so far been signed by the project developer.
Following a corresponding resolution by the city council, the city will also sign the contract. Subsequently, the resolution to adopt development plan E 58 will be publicly announced.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
