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In a surprising turn of events, just after the Naperville City Council rejected a proposed data center, another such facility is now under consideration a few miles away in Lisle, Illinois.
The new proposal suggests transforming the former site of The Lockformer Company on Ogden Avenue into a data center. This development has stirred significant interest in the community, leading to a larger-than-expected turnout for a scheduled public hearing by the planning and zoning commission.
Originally set for Wednesday night, the hearing was postponed to accommodate the unexpectedly large crowd, necessitating a search for a more spacious venue.
Unlike the Naperville meeting, where a decisive vote was expected, the Lisle hearing was not set to conclude with a decision about the data center’s approval. Nonetheless, the proposal has sparked an engaging debate about the suitability of such facilities in densely populated suburban areas.
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Different than Tuesday night in Naperville, there was no vote expected on whether to approve plans for a data center Wednesday night in Lisle. However, it’s clear there’s heightened conversation surrounding the types of facilities and whether dense suburban municipalities are the right home for them.
“My main concern is all the diesel backup generators,” Lisle resident Vanessa Berry said.
The concerns sound similar to those who voiced opposition to the data center in Naperville, which went before a vote Tuesday night. The Naperville City Council decisively choosing to deny Karis Critical’s request to build a 36 MW data center.
About four miles away in Lisle, a proposal just coming to light for a 50 MW data center along Ogden Avenue, across the street from a subdivision and backing up to more homes.
“We would need to get a lot more information about what would be going across the street before anything is agreed upon,” said Matt Rego, who lives nearby proposed data center site.
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“I’m worried about it, you know,” said Richard Brzostek, who lives nearby proposed data center site. “I’d rather not have it go over here.”
The proposed site used to be home to The Lockformer Company. The metal fabrication firm is infamous in this area for closing down after facing massive lawsuits in the early 2000s for contaminating local drinking water.
“It was a very difficult time for the residents of Lisle,” Lisle Mayor Mary Jo Mullen said. “There were a lot of people who were very sick, who had cancers, who died as a result of the contamination.”
Mayor Mullen says the vacancy left by Lockformer .and others has pushed the tax burden more heavily onto residents.
“So the opportunity to redevelop on Lockformer,” Mullen said. “If it’s done correctly, is a real positive for the village.”
Still, the mayor says the developer, CloudCenters LLC, must present a plan that elected leaders believe will not impact the health and well-being of residents.
“It’s not that different of a conversation from a large factory 50 years ago going into your neighborhood, and so if that was being proposed, that a steel plant would go in next to your children’s school, I think those same questions would have existed,” UIC Chief Technology Officer Jason Maslanka said.
Wednesday’s meeting, that is now postponed, was set to be the first public hearing where Lisle residents would have been able to voice their concerns or support for the data center.
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