By John Dobberstein, Editor
BIXBY — City officials said Friday that no data center is being planned in Bixby, even though a company inquired about several sites in the area last year.
Residents began asking questions this week after a confidential email was leaked on Facebook. The email last September from City Manager Joey Wiedel to two staff members described a meeting that was to take place regarding a “process for annexation, rezone, PUD for potential data center near Kimberly Clark” in Bixby.
Last year, Gemini Capital contacted the Bixby Chamber of Commerce to inquire about multiple property sites in the Bixby area, “and to ask what development and property acquisition processes would be required for a potential information technology-related venture.”
Gemini Capital is a Los Angeles-based firm that is active in a number of industries, including AI technology.
The Chamber relayed the inquiry to city staff for information purposes. City staff ultimately determined the property being discussed in the email wasn’t located in the city limits.
“No formal proposal was submitted and no discussions occurred before any zoning boards, planning commissions or elected bodies regarding a data center project,” said Madeline Luster, a spokesperson for the city.
“City officials want to make clear that no data center project has been proposed within the City of Bixby, nor is any such project currently under consideration by the City Council, Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, or city staff.”
The city and local organizations regularly receive inquiries from developers and businesses exploring potential opportunities in the region including, but not limited to, store-front businesses, restaurants, industrial operations, and information technology businesses,” Luster noted.
“These inquiries are merely preliminary in nature and do not indicate that a project is being pursued or approved. Multiple parent companies from a variety of industries do the same.”
Luster said any significant commercial or industrial development proposed within Bixby city limits would be subject to multiple levels of review, including zoning, planning, and public approval processes before any project could move forward.
