Data center company stays silent at public meeting
Central City residents voiced concerns about Aurum's proposed data center near the Linn County Fairgrounds, particularly over power use and the project's size. The Central City Council is placing a moratorium on data center development while it gathers public input and drafts an ordinance, while an Aurum representative declined to speak at the meeting.
Residents packed the Falcon Civic Center in Central City to question Aurum's proposal for a data center within city limits near the Linn County Fairgrounds. The facility is expected to be about 18,000 square feet, roughly the size of four basketball courts, and officials emphasized that it would be substantially smaller than the hyperscale data centers receiving national attention. Residents nevertheless raised concerns about the project's electricity use and scale.
Central City Council member Dustin Moyer said the city was responding to a development larger than what its existing rules contemplated. He said the council would impose a moratorium to allow time for public input and the drafting of a comprehensive ordinance. Project representative Charlie White did not address the meeting, saying he was not authorized to speak to the media and was concerned about his safety. Aurum CEO comments provided to KCRG said the company was working to demonstrate how smaller data centers can operate.