No data center for North Pekin said village board

North Pekin Village President Steve Flowers announced on Monday that the former AMC Pekin-14 theater will not be developed into a data center, confirming there are no current plans for such a facility. Flowers cited the village's inadequate area and infrastructure for a data center as primary reasons for the decision, which was met with approval by local residents attending the village hall meeting.

For six months, Pekin and Tazewell County residents had actively campaigned against a data center proposal near Lutticken Lake, a separate project by Southern Hospitality Partners that was ultimately halted due to public backlash. At the recent North Pekin meeting, residents voiced strong opposition to any potential data center, even though no specific agenda item was listed, prompted by a previous proposal from the Village Planning and Zoning Commission to rezone the old theater into a "service center," which some suspected was a covert attempt to allow a data center.

Realty Income Corporation, headquartered in San Diego, owns the former theater property. While Village Attorney William Anderson stated he was unaware of the owners' specific plans for the property, he advised against approving a blanket zoning change without a clear understanding of the proposed use. Anderson indicated a developer would attend an upcoming zoning commission meeting.

Residents' concerns regarding data centers include increased utility bills, significant water consumption, and constant droning noise affecting a wide radius. Dave Milam, a neighbor impacted by the previously proposed Pekin data center, urged the village board to remain vigilant against developers' tactics, fearing potential expansion from the theater site into surrounding properties.