Boone hosts open house for info on potential data center
Boone is considering a 10-acre data center proposed by LightEdge, which says the facility would be smaller than large AI-focused projects elsewhere in Iowa and could add more than $15 million to the city’s industrial tax base. Some county residents objected to communication and meeting-access issues, while other residents support the project; the Boone City Council must approve it.
LightEdge is proposing a 10-acre data center in Boone, Iowa. Company representative Matt McGay said the facility would be about one-sixtieth the size of Microsoft’s proposed project and would not focus on AI computing. The site is expected to have full-time employees and could increase Boone’s industrial property tax base by more than $15 million.
Mike Tungue Esvik of the Boone County Economic Growth Corporation said the project would help businesses store data in multiple locations. Opposition remains, with two Boone County residents criticizing communication after being denied access to an open house because they did not live within Boone’s city limits. Other residents said the smaller project should not be compared with larger data centers. The Boone City Council must approve the proposal, and LightEdge is also evaluating other communities.