Perry Village won’t grant tax abatement to data center developer

Perry Village announced at a July 16 council meeting that it would not approve property tax abatements or payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for a proposed data center project by Province Group. Acting Mayor and Council President Elias Coss stated the decision was made after discussions with leaders from Perry Township, the Perry Joint Economic Development (JEDD), and Perry Schools. Province Group, a California-based real estate and development company, intended to purchase about 217 acres of the former Champion Farm, with Perry Village owning 163.5 of those acres, to construct a campus of six 200,000-square-foot data centers. The developer had requested a 15-year, 75 percent abatement on improvements, estimated to generate over $326 million in property tax revenue over 31 years, even with the abatement. Province had also pledged about $8 million in PILOT payments to local entities.

In a separate action, Coss also motioned to enact a one-year moratorium on data centers across all village properties outside of Champion Farm. This motion, intended to allow the council time to research the impacts of data center construction and operation, will lead to a formal resolution for approval at a future meeting. Coss noted that Perry Township trustees are also planning a similar one-year moratorium.

Residents have expressed significant opposition to the data center project, citing concerns about environmental harm, excessive light and noise, and the facility's suitability for their residential community. Province Group has until at least June 2027 to finalize purchase agreements for the Champion Farm parcels.