The Oklahoma City Council on Oct. 27, 2026 adopted two ordinances rezoning land in Ward 3 for a data center campus proposed by Beltline Energy. Both ordinances passed 6-3. The items had been on the council's agenda since March and were deferred at twelve meetings before the final vote.
The approvals come while the city has a moratorium on data centers that runs to the end of the year. Mayor David Holt said the Beltline application was filed before that moratorium took effect, and that the result should not be read as a broader signal. "I do not think that means that Oklahoma City is open for business for data centers," Holt said, according to KOKH (Fox 25).
The vote is a zoning step. It does not authorize construction. KOKH reported that Beltline still has to submit plans and obtain permits, and that the company and the council must reach a community benefits agreement before a building permit is issued.
What the Council Approved
According to the council's compiled minutes for the Oct. 27 meeting, the council acted on two Master Design Statement amendments and two rezoning ordinances:
- Master Design Statement amendments (Items XI.B.1 and XI.C.1). Each approved 8-1. Holt and council members Carter, Avers, Stone, Hinkle, Hamon, Pennington and Stonecipher voted yes. Cooper voted no.
- PUD-2105, 3025 North Frisco Road (Item XI.B.2). The ordinance rezones the parcel from AA Agricultural and PUD-1637 to a new planned unit development district, PUD-2105. The minutes record it as adopted without emergency as Ordinance No. 28,171. It was approved subject to the Summary of Technical Evaluation as amended, and the minutes note "Easement not received." Holt, Carter, Avers, Stone, Hinkle and Stonecipher voted yes. Cooper, Hamon and Pennington voted no.
- PUD-2124, 13921 NW 23rd Street (Item XI.C.2). Adopted without emergency as Ordinance No. 28,172 with the same 6-3 split.
The minutes say five affirmative votes were required for passage and that the Planning Commission had recommended approval. Each ordinance cleared that threshold by one vote. Council members Hamon and Pennington voted for the Master Design Statement amendments but against both rezoning ordinances. Cooper voted against all four items.
The minutes do not name the applicant and do not give any power capacity or dollar figure for the project. Beltline Energy is identified as the developer in reporting by KOKH and News 9. News 9 placed the site near Interstate 40 and Frisco Road. KOKH described the two parcels, at 3025 North Frisco Road and NW 23rd Street, as nearby pieces of land being moved from agricultural zoning to planned unit development districts.
A Long Deferral Record
Both rezoning items carry the same procedural history in the minutes: "Deferred from March 10 and 24, April 21, May 5 and 19, and June 2 and 16, July 7, August 4 and 18, September 1 and 29, 2026." The Oct. 27 vote came about seven and a half months after the items first appeared on the council agenda.
The minutes list the deferral dates but do not give a reason for each one.
Conditions on Water, Power and Noise
News 9 reported that the approval carries special conditions on water use, electricity and noise. Neither News 9 nor KOKH published the full text of those conditions. Some of the details came from council member Katrina Avers, who voted for both ordinances and told KOKH the land is near where she lives. KOKH reported that Avers:
- called it a $15 billion project;
- said the campus's water use would be no greater than what would be expected for 200 to 400 homes; and
- said the applicant had reduced its noise limit from 75 decibels to 55 decibels.
These figures are Avers's, as KOKH reported them. They do not appear in the council minutes, which give no cost, capacity or water-use numbers. The sources reviewed here do not include a megawatt figure for the campus or the name of its utility provider.
The Moratorium Question
The vote took place while a citywide moratorium on data centers, which KOKH reported is in effect until the end of the year, was in place. KOKH reported that the Beltline application was filed before the moratorium took effect.
Holt framed the outcome narrowly. News 9 reported that he called the vote a stand-alone vote and a reflection of a very unique set of circumstances, and said it should not send a signal that Oklahoma City is open to this type of project. He made the same point to KOKH in the quote above.
KOKH reported the moratorium is in place until the end of this year. None of the sources reviewed say what rules, if any, the city will adopt once the moratorium ends.
Why the Community Benefits Agreement Matters
Under the sequence KOKH described, a community benefits agreement between Beltline and the City Council must be reached before a building permit is issued. News 9 reported that the city said additional agreements must be finalized before construction can begin.
Neither outlet reported what the agreement would cover, how it would be negotiated or when it would come before the council.
What Happens Next
KOKH reported that Beltline Energy will now submit plans and begin securing permits. Before any building permit is issued, Beltline and the City Council must reach a community benefits agreement. News 9 reported that the city said additional agreements must be finalized before construction can begin. Separately, the city's moratorium on data centers stays in effect through the end of 2026, according to KOKH. As of this writing, none of the sources had announced a date for council consideration of the community benefits agreement.
