Scope
Cleveland Emergency Ordinance No. 556-2026, approved as amended by City Council on 15 July 2026, declares a moratorium on the review and issuance of all use, building and zoning permits, certificates of occupancy and other license or permit applications, including Department of Public Utilities licenses or permits, for the expansion of an existing standalone data center or the establishment of a data center as a principal use in a standalone facility or building in the City of Cleveland. The amended period runs from the ordinance effective date until the earlier of the effective date of an ordinance regulating or prohibiting data centers or three months after the effective date, unless Council extends it for an additional three months.
- Geographic scope
- City of Cleveland, Ohio
- Jurisdiction
- Local
- Authority type
- Local government
- Issuing authority
- Cleveland City Council
Dates
- Adopted
- 15 July 2026
- Effective
- 20 July 2026
- Scheduled expiration
- See completion condition
- Ended
- Not recorded as ended
- Completion condition
- Ends on the earlier of the effective date of an ordinance regulating or prohibiting data centers or three months after the ordinance effective date, unless Council extends it for an additional three months. The ordinance states no calendar end day, so none is stored; the original May 1, 2027 end date was struck by the adopted amendment.
- Source document
- The source page states no document date
- Last checked
- 2 October 2026 (earlier than tracker date 5 October 2026; not an automatic status change)
Summary
Cleveland City Council approved Emergency Ordinance No. 556-2026 as amended on 15 July 2026; the city Legistar record lists an effective date of 20 July 2026. As amended, it pauses the review and issuance of use, building and zoning permits, certificates of occupancy and other permits, including utility permits, for expanding an existing standalone data center or establishing a data center as a principal use in a standalone building. The pause lasts until an ordinance regulating or prohibiting data centers takes effect or three months after the effective date, whichever is earlier, and Council may extend it once by three months.
What this does not establish
- The as-amended desk copy is a redline whose extracted text shows both the struck and the inserted Section 1 language; the adopted wording is taken from the separate amendment sheet, which strikes the May 1, 2027 end date and inserts the three-month period.
- The ordinance states no calendar end day. Three months after the 20 July 2026 effective date is not stored as an expiration date because the text does not print it.
- A Legistar title search on 2026-09-23 found no later Cleveland ordinance extending the moratorium or regulating data centers; an extension could still be adopted.
- It is a City of Cleveland measure only. It does not apply elsewhere in Ohio and does not close existing facilities.
Unresolved questions
- Whether Council extends the moratorium for the additional three months or adopts a data center ordinance before the period ends.
Relationships
Supersession means a later instrument replaces the earlier legal effect. Repeal links identify the repeal instrument and the measure it ends. A later implementation or related letter is not treated as a replacement unless the record says so.
- No related action is recorded.
Sources
https://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7993388&GUID=827F2230-23D5-43D8-A6B2-2E196CA1B4E5
- Current official status current official status reviewed 2 October 2026