Private credit firm Lakeland Equity Group has submitted plans for a USD 1.6 billion data center development in Cleveland, Ohio, proposing one of the more significant infrastructure investments the city has seen in the sector.

The filing outlines a large-scale campus that, if approved and built, would add substantial computing capacity to a market that has traditionally played second fiddle to Columbus within the state.

Site and Scale

The proposed development would be located at 3560 E 55th St in Cleveland, a 35-acre site currently owned by trucking company Morabito Enterprises.

According to plans reported by local outlet NEOtrans, the campus would include three two-story buildings totaling approximately 300,000 square feet, or roughly 27,870 square meters.

The facility is designed to deliver 150 megawatts of capacity, placing it firmly in the category of hyperscale-adjacent infrastructure that has become a defining feature of the current data center buildout cycle across the United States.

Lakeland Equity Group told News 5 Cleveland that the planned facility would use closed-loop cooling technology and would generate no smoke or fumes.

The company also stated that the project would produce no truck traffic, a detail likely intended to address potential concerns from neighboring residents and community groups. Lakeland added that it intends to work closely with local stakeholders throughout the development process.

The Developer

Lakeland Equity Group describes itself as a private credit firm focused on projects that require funding to cover equity shortfalls, with investments typically ranging between one million and ten million dollars.

That stated focus presents a notable contrast with the scale of the Cleveland proposal, which carries a USD 1.6 billion price tag.

Limited public information is available about the firm beyond what it has shared in connection with this project, leaving questions about its broader portfolio and financial backing largely unanswered based on currently available sources.

A Potential Moratorium Looms

The project's path forward is not without obstacles. The Cleveland City Council is considering a proposed one-year moratorium on new data center developments in the city.

The idea was introduced by a council member in April, according to News 5 Cleveland.

As of the time of the plans' submission, the proposed moratorium had not yet been reviewed by local authorities, meaning its status remains unresolved, and its potential impact on the Lakeland proposal is uncertain.

The possibility of a moratorium reflects a growing pattern in cities and municipalities across the country where rapid data center expansion has prompted local governments to pause and assess the implications for land use, energy consumption, water resources, and community character.

Cleveland's consideration of such a measure places it alongside other jurisdictions grappling with how to manage an infrastructure boom that promises economic activity but also raises questions about long-term costs and neighborhood impact.

Cleveland's Data Center Landscape

Cleveland sits in northeastern Ohio along the southern shore of Lake Erie and has developed a notable presence in the data center sector, even as the bulk of Ohio's data center activity remains concentrated around Columbus.

Ohio as a whole counts 231 data centers, according to data tracked by Baxtel, making it one of the more active states in the country for this type of infrastructure.

The Columbus metropolitan area has attracted investments from major technology companies, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta, with projects ranging from large campuses in New Albany to land acquisitions in Pataskala and Hebron.

That concentration of hyperscale development around Columbus has made it the dominant hub within the state, but Cleveland's existing base of facilities and its geographic assets, including proximity to Lake Erie, position it as a secondary market with room to grow.

The Lakeland proposal, if it clears the regulatory and political hurdles ahead, would represent a substantial injection of capacity into the Cleveland market and could signal broader investor interest in the city as an alternative to the increasingly competitive and land-constrained Columbus corridor.

Next Steps

For the project to move forward, it will need to navigate the city's planning and permitting processes, including any decisions the Cleveland City Council makes regarding the proposed development moratorium.

Lakeland's stated commitment to community engagement suggests the firm is aware that local support will be a factor in determining whether the campus advances on its intended timeline.

The acquisition of the Morabito Enterprises site at 3560 E 55th St would also need to be completed before construction could begin, adding another layer of transaction complexity to an already ambitious undertaking. No timeline for groundbreaking or completion has been publicly stated based on the available source material.