Hundreds attend Salem City Council meeting opposing data center
Hundreds of Salem residents overwhelmingly opposed a proposed $5.1 billion Verrus data center at a City Council meeting, raising concerns about water, energy, noise, and a lack of transparency due to a prior NDA. While the project has not yet submitted a formal land use application, the City Council has committed to further public testimony and initiated steps to develop new data center policies and regulate NDAs.
Hundreds of Salem residents gathered at a City Council meeting on July 27 to overwhelmingly oppose a proposed $5.1 billion data center by California-based company Verrus, planned for industrial land in southeast Salem's Mill Creek Corporate Center. The meeting, attended by an overflow crowd, lasted over seven hours as residents voiced concerns about the project's impact on water and energy resources, noise pollution, and the lack of transparency surrounding a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) the city had with Verrus.
Verrus's project, named Oakline at Mill Creek, was publicly announced on July 13 after the city was released from its NDA on July 8. City officials, including Community Planning and Development director Kristin Retherford, stated that Verrus has not yet submitted a formal land use application, nor has it received land use approval, construction permits, or a development agreement. However, Verrus did secure a three-year Enterprise Zone property tax exemption from Marion County.
Despite Verrus CEO Nelson Abramson's claims of a