A proposed AI and technology hub in downtown Oakland is drawing sharp opposition from residents, and now the councilmember who represents the district says she’s working to de-escalate hostile rhetoric surrounding the project.
Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife stood alongside developer Colin Behring this week at a community meeting held inside the historic building on Thomas L. Berkley Way and Franklin Street, where Behring hopes to open the data center. The building once housed a supercomputer facility for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
“Help us de-escalate the tensions that are circulating right now with the facts of this process,” Fife said, addressing the media.
Fife said she remains committed to “the responsible use of technology” in Oakland, and told residents she believes the project could give downtown Oakland an economic boost while requiring oversight.
“I am committed, as the city is committed, to responsible technology in the city of Oakland,” Fife said.
Still, many Oaklanders remain skeptical. One Oakland native who attended the meeting said she wants more clarity on how the project would affect everyday residents.
“I’m just really wondering about the actual impact on people,” she said, adding that she hopes the city is selective “about who we’re inviting into these spaces.”
Those concerns are echoed by an opposition campaign called “No Data Centers in Oakland,” which has raised concerns online about energy and water consumption, as well as pollution linked to large-scale data operations. Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu, from Oakland, is among those who shared the petition on Instagram.
Behring says his proposal is not comparable to the sprawling data campuses often associated with AI infrastructure.
“How does an IT floor differ from a 500-acre, gigawatt campus in the middle of Texas?” Behring said, arguing that misinformation has fueled some of the backlash. “There’s a lot of fact and fiction that flies around.”
According to Behring, the IT portion would occupy just one floor of the existing four-story office building — a fraction of the total space.
“The total IT space in there– on one floor– is minuscule,” he said. His company’s website reads, “it offers flexible office and research space for AI, robotics, and technology companies, with a dedicated technical infrastructure area supporting on-site teams who need direct, hands-on access to their own hardware.
Behring also said the facility would rely on closed-loop cooling systems, which he says would not waste water. He said he has already given 15 tours of the space to startups interested in leasing.
Despite the concerns, Fife framed the project as part of a broader push to bring new life to the city’s core.
“We want to revitalize the downtown area,” she said.
If the developer’s plans extend beyond what the zoning allows for, it will go before the full City Council for a vote. CBS News Bay Area will continue following the process as it moves forward.