Data center partners and local officials meet for town hall tonight

AVAIO Digital has proposed "Project Andromeda," a massive $5.5 billion, 250-megawatt data center campus in Oxford Township, southwest Erie County, Ohio. This privately funded project, if realized with a future tech-tenant, would be the largest financial investment in Erie County's history, spanning 1.2 million square feet across four buildings on a 146-acre rural site.

The project faces a significant hurdle as Oxford Township currently has a local ban on data center construction. For Project Andromeda to proceed, the township's zoning board must recommend lifting the ban, followed by a vote from the three-member board of trustees. Trustee Mike Parker has indicated that approval hinges on a majority of local residents favoring the proposal.

AVAIO Digital promises substantial economic benefits, including up to 3,000 local construction jobs and 120 permanent, high-paying positions averaging $150,000 annually. The developer also projects $28 million annually in new tax revenue for local school districts and services over 15 years, totaling $420 million. AVAIO partner Kevin Murphy emphasized that the firm will not seek local tax breaks or county grants, differentiating itself from the controversial Aligned Data Center project in Perkins Township, which received a 70% tax break. Murphy also highlighted the campus's minimal water usage through a closed-loop cooling system and its direct access to major power and fiber-optic infrastructure, eliminating the need for new utility routing.

A public town hall is scheduled for residents to engage with AVAIO representatives and voice concerns about potential disruptions like noise or resource depletion. This meeting is a crucial initial step in AVAIO's public-outreach campaign, preceding any formal zoning or trustee votes, with local officials and county commissioners maintaining a neutral stance.