Nebius x Birmingham, Alabama

Nebius is developing a state-of-the-art AI factory in Birmingham, Alabama that will create jobs and support the local economy. As we develop the project, we are working with Birmingham officials and community members to better understand the city’s vision and community needs to establish a mutually beneficial partnership.

We believe Birmingham offers a number of competitive advantages that are aligned with our strengths as a business and our R&D capabilities, including the city’s status as a hub for healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and tech innovation.

Ask us anything

What we’re building, where it stands right now, what it means for the neighborhood, and how to reach a real person on our team.

Don’t see your question? Just ask, and we’ll add the answer.

Project overview

Nebius is developing the former Regions Bank back-office site in Birmingham’s Oxmoor neighborhood for its potential AI factory. We are committed to transparency throughout the process, and to building a project that delivers lasting benefits to local communities.

pdf

Download project fact sheet

pdf

What Birmingham leaders say about our project

No impact on home electric bills

Nebius will pay for all electricity and any infrastructure upgrades. This project can help strengthen the local power grid by increasing industrial consumers in APCO’s region.

Low annual water consumption

Thanks to an innovative closed-loop cooling system design, the facility have minimal ongoing water needs.

Built to fit in

We’re designing this facility to be a good neighbor. That means noise-reduction technology to keep noise low, and planning construction work to minimize disruption to residents.

Job creation and support for the local economy

The project will create 1,000+ skilled construction jobs, support local contractors, and offer long-term career opportunities.

Long-term community investment

The project will generate roughly $85.7M in annual tax revenue for Birmingham City, Jefferson County, and the state of Alabama supporting education, public infrastructure, parks, and essential services. Nebius' community benefits plan would further advance local workforce opportunities.

Responsible by design

Our commitments span the full lifecycle of infrastructure — how we design, who we build with, and how we show up.

Design with discipline

How we build.

Pay our own way. We bear the full cost of our power — never shifting it onto residents.
Efficient from day one. Closed-loop cooling minimizes water; power engineered for efficiency.
Designed for place. Architecture that reflects its surroundings — not warehouse boxes.

Early, transparent engagement

Show up before we break ground.

Clear information. How facilities operate and what resources they need.
Open channels. Open houses, community panels, project websites, government updates.
Promises kept. Early commitments become our standard for the life of the facility.

Community partnership

Build with communities, not in them.

Local education. GPU grants, K–12 AI literacy, and curriculum for career switchers.
Hire locally. Recruit and train talent from the surrounding community.
Listen, assess, act. A community benefits plan shaped by local priorities.

Anticipated timeline

Birmingham is setting an example of responsible AI factory development. Birmingham offers an ideal location, combining existing infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and community that understands the importance of economic development.

Future dates subject to change

September 2025

Nebius acquires 75 acres of land at 201 Milan Parkway in Birmingham’s Oxmoor neighborhood

Q1 2026

Secure permits for site preparation, underground utilities, foundations

Q1 2026

Anticipated public and community hearings

Q2 2026

Construction begins, interior activities commence

Q4 2026

Initial phase commissioning and energization.

Through 2028

Ongoing construction activities for full build-out.

AI factory details

We are in the planning stages for this AI factory and welcome community feedback. Our focus is building an efficient, modern facility that minimizes impacts on local communities.

Water

Closed-loop cooling system that continuously recycles water onsite
No evaporation, use of hazardous chemicals or fluid discharge into sewer system or environment
Close coordination with Jefferson County Sewer District for planning and system upgrades
Less annual consumption than an existing office building on site

Utility & site power

Nebius will fund new power infrastructure built by Alabama Power (APCO) to support the facility
APCO confirmed this power is readily available, meaning it is not expected to have an impact on utility rates

Air emissions

Facility expected to be a minor source of air emissions
Nebius will meet or exceed all local, state and federal air emission regulations and requirements

Noise mitigation

Acoustic study confirms operations will not increase existing background noise levels
Facility will meet all local noise ordinances industrial projects
Engineered and natural noise mitigation:
- Acoustical sound walls and canopy
- Chillers and dry-coolers equipped with low-noise and Ultra Quiet fans
- Tree line buffers around the building and equipment

Our commitment to Birmingham

We believe Birmingham offers a number of competitive advantages that align with Nebius’s strengths and capabilities. Nebius can help unleash Birmingham’s potential to lead in the AI era by investing in a world-class AI factory that powers the city’s digital future while driving statewide growth.

As we move forward, we will continue to work with Birmingham officials and Oxmoor community members to gain a better understanding of the city’s vision and together shape a mutually beneficial partnership.

Community benefits plan in education

K-12: Offer STEM and AI literacy for students and teachers

Trades:

Sponsor apprenticeship programs that build foundational technical skills
Donate modern tools, simulators, and updated labs for local trade programs

Community College: Offering real-world cloud projects and workforce development initiatives

Community engagement panel

Nebius has established a Community Engagement Panel comprising local residents, business owners, and community leaders.

The panel meets regularly and serves as a key forum for sharing project updates, discussing community priorities, and gathering feedback to help inform ongoing planning and engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nebius is a Nasdaq-listed technology company building next-generation AI cloud. By building and operating large-scale AI factories across the US and Europe, we provide essential infrastructure that delivers the most advanced compute.

Birmingham’s position as a hub for healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and tech innovation aligns with our business strengths, and we are committed to building a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership. We chose to invest in the former Regions Bank back‑office building in Birmingham’s Oxmoor neighborhood for its existing infrastructure and its location within an established business park. By working closely with regional land specialists and technical design experts, we’re confident that this project will transform the vacant property into a valuable and productive asset for the area.

The initial construction phase represents a multi-billion-dollar investment and will create hundreds of skilled construction jobs. Early projections show the AI factory would generate $47 million for Birmingham City and Jefferson County Schools. We remain committed to collaborating with local leaders to ensure our investments are impactful and support initiatives most important to the region.

Nebius has solicited feedback through a community survey and is currently working with local leaders to establish a community benefits plan framework that centers on advancing education. We want to partner with the community on areas to invest, volunteer, and deliver impactful actions.

Additionally, we have established a Community Engagement Panel of representative community voices to foster dialogue between residents and community as the project evolves.

Nebius is an AI-cloud company that provides full-stack support exclusively for AI workloads and we design our infrastructure and software solutions to meet those specific needs.

Work done at this facility will service our customers’ needs — from advanced medical research to enterprise business solutions. Some of the work done to date on our Nebius infrastructure and cloud platform has led to a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s diagnosis and genomic research, for example. Read more about the medical breakthroughs AI is enabling.

No. An independent sound study conducted by Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI) found that the facility will not generate noise beyond the area’s existing background levels.

As part of the study, AEI measured sound volume and frequencies at multiple locations and compared them to recorded baseline noise levels. Their analysis confirmed that our sound mitigation measures will work as designed and any noise from the facility will remain within today’s ambient noise levels and not increase the overall level in the community.

Running a large-scale compute infrastructure means we do need to retire hardware that’s reached the end of its useful life. Wherever possible, we send components for recycling to keep materials in circulation. This creates a longer lasting impact by easing the demand for new raw materials across the supply chain and reducing the strain on natural resources. Read more about Nebius’ approach to sustainability in our latest report.