Axios Cleveland

June 29, 2026
ποΈ On this date in 1930, Cleveland Union Terminal (now Tower City Center) officially opened.
π€οΈ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 86 and a low of 75.
Today's newsletter is 987 words β a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: Potential pause on data centers
Cleveland may soon be the next Ohio city to pass a moratorium on new data centers.
Why it matters: The city is grappling with the impacts of the facilities and ironing out its zoning code to regulate their size and location.
State of play: City Council's utilities committee voted last week to impose a three-month moratorium on new data centers.
- The pause is scaled back from a one-year moratorium initially proposed by Councilman Charles Slife.
- If the full council votes in favor, it will occur in tandem with a working group established by the city.
Between the lines: The moratorium will withhold city building permits on standalone data centers, not in-house facilities or "server rooms" like those maintained by the Cleveland Clinic, committee chair Brian Kazy said.
What they're saying: Kazy told a packed council committee room that Cleveland is not saying "absolutely no" or "absolutely yes" to data centers.
- "Today is the beginning of gathering that information. Data centers are here. What we need to figure out is do we have the infrastructure to support them?"
The big picture: Cities across the state and country have enacted moratoriums as communities gather public feedback and do the math on things like electricity costs and water consumption.
- Cuyahoga County this month released a Data Center Development Guide to help local municipalities evaluate proposals, negotiate stronger terms and avoid being taken advantage of by developers.
The other side: The Greater Cleveland Partnership, aligned with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has opposed bans and moratoriums.
- It has championed a "smart growth approach," arguing that data centers are essential infrastructure for the region's "AI-driven economic transformation."
What's next: The full council could vote on the moratorium as early as its July 15 meeting.
- The working group is scheduled to meet in September.
2. Supreme Court decision's Ohio impact
Thousands of Haitian immigrants living in Ohio are facing a new kind of uncertainty after the Supreme Court ruled last week the federal government can end their legal protections.
Why it matters: Since 2010, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has kept many Haitians living and working here as they flee gang violence and instability in their home country.
- The program has been under threat for years βΒ and without it, deportation looms.
Zoom in: The ruling will seriously impact Springfield, where about one-fourth of the population is Haitian. Many are bracing for raids.
- Without TPS, thousands will be living here illegally, unable to work or renew a driver's license, and without homes to return to in Haiti.
By the numbers: About 30,000 Haitians with TPS live in Central Ohio.
- Between 12,000 to 15,000 live in Springfield, with a mix of TPS and other legal statuses.
The big picture: Last week's 6-3 decision in President Trump's favor ends a tense legal limbo that has dragged on for months.
- In February, a lower court extended Haitians' protections just before they expired.
- Overall, TPS protects 1.3 million people from 17 countries. All could be impacted by the ruling, which specifically concerned Haitians and Syrians.
- Ohio's Haitians have been a political flashpoint since Trump's 2024 campaign, when he spread baseless claims that they were eating household pets.
What they're saying: "This is nothing but a license to feed Trump's hateful mass deportation machine," U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) said in a statement.
- "Haitians have been denigrated by this President, Vice President and leaders in his Administration in vile and racist language. Race is a clear motivation for the Trump effort at mass deportation, because the facts simply do not warrant ending their TPS status."
The other side: "The T in TPS stands for temporary, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty," Department of Homeland Security general counsel James Percival wrote on X. "This is a win for the rule of law and common sense."
3. The Terminal: Splashin' through the headlines
πββοΈ Cleveland's Department of Parks and Recreation is piloting a new "Pool Dashboard" that updates daily at noon with information on city pool closures. (City of Cleveland)
π Heinen's will close its downtown Cleveland location at the end of July. (Cleveland Scene)
π³οΈβπ The new owner of the Fieldhouse at Studio West 117 intends to maintain the vision of the property as a mixed-use facility serving the LGBTQ+ community. (Crain's Cleveland Business π)
π² Dan Gilbert has revealed he is not a Comic Sans enthusiast and his infamous post-Decision letter to LeBron James was meant to be written in "Times New Roman or something."
- A member of his team jokingly switched his default font to Comic Sans, so everything he wrote for weeks appeared in the ridiculed font. (HoopsHype)
4. π Rock Hall taps into Taylor Swift wedding buzz
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is getting in on Taylor Swift wedding fever.
Driving the news: The museum has unveiled a new display featuring artifacts from Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia" music video.
- The showcase, which is part of the "Legends of Rock" exhibition on Level 5, comes a week before Swift is supposedly set to wed Travis Kelce on Friday in New York City.
Zoom in: The Rock Hall's display features multiple outfits from the video, including an icy-blue bodysuit from fashion label AREA and a gown designed by Paolo Sebastian.
What's next: The Rock Hall also announced it will host a Taylor Swift Fan Day at a yet-to-be-determined date.
π Troy's thought bubble: The museum, like everyone else, may be waiting to see when Swift is actually getting married.
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5. πΈ Capturing Cleveland

This week's photo was taken by Megan Weidle (@meeeganthevegan), who captured the outside of Atomic Rodeo Art and Vintage in Barberton, Summit County.
π· If you have a recent photo representing Cleveland's essence, please submit it by replying to this email.
π Sam is officially on LeBron Watch.
π₯΅ Troy is making sure his air conditioning is working properly for tomorrow's heatwave.
This newsletter was edited by Tyler Buchanan.
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