Federal judge dismisses DC Blox lawsuit over Metro's data center moratorium

Catch up quick: When DC Blox's plans for the data center came to light earlier this year, public uproar ensued, with thousands of people signing a petition opposing the project.

• Metro Council passed brand new regulations, which banned large-scale data centers and imposed strict rules related to water, energy usage, noise and location.

• Council also passed a moratorium on new data centers. In response, DC Blox sued in August. DC Blox argued the city was treating it unfairly since another data center project advanced in recent months.

Yes, but: Judge Eli Richardson was not persuaded by DC Blox's arguments. In a harshly worded ruling, he dismissed most of the suit. Richardson did leave the door open for DC Blox to refile on some of the claims.

What he's saying: "(DC Blox) may believe, and is entitled to believe and contend, that it received a raw deal from (or was sandbagged by), the imposition of the Moratorium after it purchased the Property," Richardson said in a memo accompanying his order.

• "However, a raw deal or sandbagging—real or imagined, without more—does not a federal lawsuit make."

What's next: Sometime after Dec. 1, the Board of Zoning Appeals is expected to hear two challenges to the city zoning administrator's decision that allowed the project to eventually proceed.