Mass text message

Sangamon County residents received a mass text message on April 1, promoting a proposed CyrusOne data center and its potential for 500 construction jobs. The text, which included a video from the Central Illinois Building & Trades Council and directed recipients to a support page, was paid for by the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, a public-private partnership advocating for the project. This unsolicited outreach has led to widespread criticism on social media and numerous negative online reviews for the Growth Alliance. The text message campaign follows a contentious March 23 Sangamon County Board meeting where the data center's zoning request was tabled after more than three hours of public comments, predominantly opposing the project. While the Growth Alliance's text highlighted job creation, an official noted that average data center projects in Illinois typically generate fewer construction jobs than the 500 claimed. Ryan McCrady, president and CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, confirmed his organization hired an unnamed marketing firm for the advertisement, stating it's a common practice to inform the public of a project's benefits. Aaron Gurnsey, president of the Central Illinois Building & Trades Council and a Growth Alliance board member, defended the job figures from CyrusOne, emphasizing the significance of such a construction project. The Sangamon County Board is scheduled to revisit the tabled zoning resolution at its meeting on Tuesday, April 7. The meeting has been moved to the BOS Center to accommodate an expected large public turnout, indicating continued high interest and potential for further debate on the project.