Mayor Brandon Johnson pressured by anti-data center activists at rally
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson faced pressure from anti-data center activists at a rally on the South Side, who expressed dissatisfaction with his stance on the "Quantum Shore" development. While the Mayor signed an executive order to strictly regulate data center construction and called for a moratorium, activists demand a halt to the project, despite a developer's commitment not to build a data center in the first phase. The project, championed by Governor JB Pritzker, includes anchor tenants IBM and PsiQuantum, and is set to bring significant economic impact to the city.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson encountered boos and pressure from anti-data center activists at a "Community Over Quantum" event on the South Side, where he declined to outright disavow the large-scale "Quantum Shore" development.
Despite having recently signed an executive order imposing stricter regulations on data center construction in Chicago and advocating for a City Council-approved moratorium on new data center construction, Johnson's refusal to condemn the Quantum Shore project angered attendees. Activists, led by groups like Southside Together, are pushing for environmental protections and concessions, viewing the Mayor's actions as insufficient to stop the overall development.
The project, spearheaded by Gov. JB Pritzker and championed by Johnson initially, is planned for the U.S. Steel South Works site. Its first phase, the Illinois Quantum & Microelectric Park, is slated to include anchor tenants IBM and PsiQuantum, which aims to build a commercially viable quantum computer. Developer Related Digital had previously announced a one-gigawatt "hyperscale" data center as part of the broader Quantum Shore, though a letter from Illinois Quantum & Microelectrics Parks CEO Harley Johnson to Mayor Johnson stated the IQMP campus would not house a data center.
Mayor Johnson's executive order directs his administration to enhance air pollution evaluations, introduce noise restrictions, and broaden city oversight of water and electricity usage at data center facilities, while his spokesperson clarified his comments about the developer's commitment referred specifically to the smaller Quantum & Microelectric Park site.