When Eric Adams Tried and Failed to Sell a Data Center to a Small Midwestern City
Residents of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, pushed back against a proposed data center project being promoted by PNK Group, a warehouse developer linked in the documentary to former New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Community members said they support economic development but wanted more information and assurances that the project would be responsible and beneficial to the city.
A Hell Gate mini-documentary examines PNK Group's effort to bring a data center to Wisconsin Rapids, where the company was seeking to redevelop property associated with the city's former paper-mill economy. Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams participated in efforts to promote the project, but his involvement heightened residents' distrust rather than generating support.
Residents and some community advocates said Wisconsin Rapids needs new jobs and tax revenue but should not rush into a data center project without understanding its long-term effects. After a well-attended community event and sustained opposition, local participants said the project appeared to have been derailed, with one interviewee stating that construction likely would have begun without the public backlash.