South Side residents protest new development at former South Works steel site
Residents on Chicago's South Side are protesting the new Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, fearing it is a data center with negative environmental impacts. Mayor Brandon Johnson has not publicly opposed the project but has called for a temporary moratorium on new data centers and signed an executive order for stricter regulations.
Residents of Chicago's South Side gathered at a town hall event on Saturday to protest the proposed Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, fearing it will house a new data center. The development is slated for the former South Works steel site, and residents have voiced concerns over potential negative environmental impacts.
Despite the residents' pleas for intervention, Mayor Brandon Johnson has refrained from publicly opposing the project. The CEO of the development has stated the project is a research and development campus, not a data center. Mayor Johnson indicated he received assurances from the developers that they would not proceed with a data center on the campus, stating that any such development would be bound by an executive order for stronger regulations.
Earlier in the week, Mayor Johnson had called for a temporary moratorium on new data centers across the city and subsequently signed an executive order aimed at creating stricter regulations and oversight for future data center developments.