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UID:Indybay-18885919
SEQUENCE:19063196
CREATED:20260429T211300Z
DESCRIPTION:Concord city council members are quietly developing a partnership with 
 Lattice Industries to develop an AI data center in the downtown 
 area.\n\nConcord Housing and Economic Development Committee \nApril 29 
 5:30PM. \nGarden Conference Room\n1950 Parkside Drive, Wing A\n\nResidents 
 across the greater Bay Area region are pushing back against the tech 
 oligarchs who want to plant AI data centers in their communities.  This 
 April, the city of Oakley put a (temporary) ban in place to stop 
 development of data centers, after one was proposed by the waterfront.  
 Residents have rallied together in a massive backlash against a proposed 
 data center in Gilroy.  \n\nLattice Industries has found local Democratic 
 Party allies in Concord city council, Carlyn Obringer and Pablo Benevente.  
 They are drafting a proposal to develop a data center, and AI hub in the 
 middle of Concord.  There has been no public outreach on the idea, no 
 public polling, no town halls.  The tech giants pushing for this proposal 
 are Dell Technologies and Invidia.  \n\nTonight is the first time anyone 
 from the public has the opportunity to make comments against the data 
 center.  The Concord city staff who analyzed this proposal have officially 
 recommended "not proceeding" with this partnership.  Yet, Councilpersons 
 Carlyn Obringer and Pablo Benevente are moving to proceed with the 
 discussions. Neither of whom are up for reelection in this 2026 election 
 cycle.  \n\nLattice Industries has no track record.  There is notable 
 mention of Lattice Industries in trade press, or national news.  They claim 
 to operate a Data As A Commodity digital marketplace, yet there is no trace 
 of said marketplace.  Their non-profit subsidiary, the Data Institute, 
 seems to only exist on paper (so to speak).  \n\nDespite having no 
 documented history, Lattice has gained support of Dell and Invidia.  Which 
 raises the question as to why Lattice is asking the city of Concord to take 
 on a bond, and help fund the renovations or 2000 Clayton Avenue.  It is 
 proposed that Concord take financial risk in this venture that Dell or 
 Invidia could pay for.  Economic studies on the AI industry have shown that 
 the industry adds practically nothing to economic growth to a state or 
 national economy.  The only people who truly make money are the executives. 
  \n\nThough the matter of the financials misses the point that data centers 
 are bad for the environment, bad for communities, and ultimately destroy 
 more jobs than they create.  For these reasons, there is growing resistance 
 to data centers. Not only in the Bay Area, but across the country including 
 deep Red counties.  Opposition to data centers is a non-partisan issue as 
 such projects strain power grids, and pollute air, water and soil. 
 \n\nThere are as well concerns about data marketplaces.  Our private data 
 is being gathered at an unprecedented rate.  It is being sold and fed into 
 AI algorithms for marketing and surveillance with no oversight.  \n\nThis 
 proposal has been quietly drafted in secret.  Tonight is the first time 
 that members of the public have a chance to make public comment on this 
 issue.  \n https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2026/04/29/18885919.php
SUMMARY:Meeting: Proposed Downtown Concord AI Data Center
LOCATION:.Garden Conference Room, 1950 Parkside Drive, Wing A
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2026/04/29/18885919.php
DTSTART:20260430T003000Z
DTEND:20260430T003000Z
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