Conway to hold public meeting on data center

Conway, Arkansas city leaders are scheduled to hold a public committee meeting on Tuesday, May 12, to address public concerns regarding a proposed data center in Southwest Conway, near the city's airport and off Wally Road. While the company behind this specific Conway project remains undisclosed, controversial data center proposals have been spreading across Arkansas. Residents have voiced significant environmental concerns and other objections to the project on social media. Mayor Bart Casselberry stated that city leaders plan to listen to and gather feedback from residents. Local resident Josiah Dickens confirmed he and others intend to attend the meeting to make their voices heard, advocating for a pause in the project until more information is disclosed by the company. Dickens also suggested that the current tax abatement and incentives offered might not be sufficient. The meeting, to be held at Conway City Hall, comes amidst broader regional data center developments. Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is known to be behind two other data center projects in central Arkansas, one near Wrightsville south of Little Rock, and another potential location eyed by Alphabet in the Port of Little Rock.