Urbana Council approves public works purchase, advances data center zoning rollback

The Urbana City Council convened Monday night, making two significant decisions: authorizing the purchase of the former White's Ford property for a future Public Works facility and initiating the reversal of zoning changes that could have enabled data center development. The Council voted 4-2 to proceed with the $3 million property acquisition at 1214 and 1246 North Main Street, which will consolidate and expand the Public Works Department's operations. Simultaneously, the Council passed a resolution, introduced by Councilwoman Amy Jumper, to begin the process of rolling back zoning changes approved in 2025. These previous changes expanded the types of projects permitted in the M-1 Manufacturing District to include computing infrastructure, web hosting, and data processing, effectively opening the door for data center developments. The resolution does not immediately alter the zoning rules but formally refers the matter to the Urbana Planning Commission for its review and recommendation. Urbana Law Director Mark Feinstein provided an overview of the process and the implications of the zoning changes during the meeting, while Mayor Bill Bean offered his perspective on both decisions and the future of economic development in Urbana. The Planning Commission is slated to meet on May 18, after which the issue will return to the City Council for potential final action. The next Council meeting is scheduled for May 19.