Planned Yorkville data center project to be rephased as part of resident lawsuit settlement agreement
A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed by a Yorkville resident against the city regarding a planned 1,000-acre data center campus, Project Cardinal. The agreement will rephase the project's construction, and the developer has been granted an 18-month extension to acquire the property. The Yorkville City Council approved the conditional settlement and the extension despite earlier resident opposition.
The city of Yorkville has reached a conditional settlement agreement in a lawsuit filed by a resident against a proposed 1,000-acre data center campus, known as Project Cardinal. The Yorkville City Council approved the settlement last week, which mandates a rephasing of the project's construction timeline and extends the developer's deadline to close on the property by 18 months, until December 2027.
Project Cardinal, developed by Pioneer Development, LLC, received city approvals in November and March despite considerable resident opposition. The site, located on Yorkville's border with Sugar Grove, is planned to include 14 data center buildings, two electrical substations, and a utility switchyard. The new construction phasing will start in the northeastern portion, then move to the southeastern, and finally the western side, with the third phase contingent on the substantial completion of the first two.
Resident John Bryan filed the lawsuit in October to halt the development. The settlement agreement is conditional on the city amending the existing Planned Unit Development (PUD) agreement to reflect the revised construction phasing. The developer has already applied for this amendment, which will proceed through the city's Economic Development Committee, a public hearing, and a City Council vote. The settlement does not involve payments to Bryan but allows for separate negotiations with the developer.
Additionally, the City Council approved an amendment extending the deadline for Pioneer Development to acquire the land titles. A memorandum of understanding was also approved, clarifying penalties for the data center campus if its water usage exceeds established thresholds in the utility and infrastructure agreement.