Crowd packs Perry Village hall to protest data-center project as tensions rise across Ohio

A proposed billion-dollar data center project by California-based Province Group in Perry Village, Lake County, Ohio, is facing strong public opposition. Despite the project not being on the council agenda, dozens of residents packed a recent meeting and protested outside the Perry Village Municipal Center, questioning the transparency and impact of the development. Province Group has secured agreements to purchase 215 acres from Perry Village, Perry Township, and the Perry Joint Economic Development District for over $11 million. The land, a former nursery, is zoned for a broad range of uses, but residents like Nick McNamee and Gayle Wills express frustration over not having a say and worries about property values, noise, lights, water usage, and pollution. Perry Village Mayor James Gessic, who initially supported the project as a solution to fiscal challenges and a way to establish a tax base, acknowledged the unexpected pushback. He highlighted that the developer plans for six buildings, each approximately 250,000 square feet and 65 feet tall, with a potential five-to-six-year buildout. Gessic believes the project would not strain local infrastructure significantly, employing 200-300 people. Lake County Commissioner Morris Beverage III, a Perry Village resident, also expressed opposition to the project's current form and location in the heart of town, advocating for greater community involvement and clear answers from village officials regarding the project's scope and impact.