Changes to Project Cardinal data center construction order splits Yorkville City Council

The Yorkville City Council recently approved a re-phasing of the 1,034-acre Project Cardinal data center, leading to a more divided vote than previous data center approvals. This re-ordering of the construction sequence for the 14 two-story warehouses stems from a litigation settlement between resident John Bryan, the City of Yorkville, and developers Pioneer Development, LLC and Matt McCarron.

Bryan had previously filed a lawsuit claiming negative impacts on his property values and quality of life due to the development. The settlement required the city to approve a new construction order, changing from a counterclockwise progression to a clockwise one, beginning in the northeast and concluding in the western portion of the site, nearest Bryan's property. Each phase must be substantially complete before the next begins.

The amendment to the project's Planned Unit Development (PUD) was approved by the City Council during its July 14 meeting. While Mayor John Purcell and five aldermen voted to approve, Aldermen Rusty Corneils and Arden “Joe” Plocher voted no, and Alderman Craig Soling voted present. This marks a shift from previously near-unanimous data center approvals. The settlement did not include financial payment from the city to Bryan, though a settlement with developers is still possible.

Separately, the City Council also granted an 18-month extension to the developers to acquire all titles for the subject property, pushing the deadline to December 31, 2027. Failure to meet this deadline would void the annexation agreement and other associated approvals, including the PUD and a $51 million upfront payment agreement, potentially jeopardizing the entire project. Yorkville has also approved the 228-acre CyrusOne and 540-acre Project Steel data centers.