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Charlotte architects try to save historic facade from demolition for data center

Published

13 July 2026

Topic

regulatory

◆ Sectors

Cloud Infrastructure

◆ Geography

United States

◆ Source

Read at charlotteobserver.com →

◆ Verified

Fusion42 · 14 July 2026 · Fusion42 review

Digital Realty Trust is demolishing a 100-year-old historic facade in Charlotte to expand its data centre operations, after initially planning to preserve it; the move has triggered local architect opposition and exposes a gap in Charlotte's regulatory protection for non-designated historic buildings.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Cloud Infrastructure.

◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway

If you're building or buying data centre real estate in growth markets, undesignated historic buildings are now liabilities—Digital Realty flipped from preservation to demolition the moment facade-saving became inconvenient. Expect this pattern to repeat in older downtowns where land is tight and preservation rules are weak.

◆ Coverage

1 source · 13 Jul 2026

◆ Related on Wire

◆ Topics

Cloud Infrastructuredata-centre-expansionreal-estate-frictionzoning-conflicthistoric-preservationcharlotte-market