Officials in Hamilton, Canada, have denied a proposal by Slate Asset Management to integrate data centers into "Steelport," a planned 800-acre mixed-use industrial development on a former Stelco steelworks site.
The city’s committee of adjustment rejected a crucial land severance application for the project following a grueling eight-hour meeting packed with opposing local residents. Despite the site's access to 200MW of grid capacity and its positioning as a potential hub for Canada's sovereign AI infrastructure, the proposal faced unprecedented community pushback, drawing over 1,600 letters of protest from local citizens.
- Update: Following the rejection, Slate Asset Management filed an official appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal to overturn the local committee's decision, arguing that the former steel mill property is uniquely zoned and equipped to support the heavy utility demands of modern AI infrastructure.