Building Trades Back Data Center Growth; Workforce Needs Evolve in Manufacturing | Daily Buzz 4-6-26

Mike Materno of The Business Journal's Daily Buzz reported on the mixed reactions to proposed data center projects in Ohio's Mahoning Valley, specifically highlighting developments in Lordstown and McDonald. Building trades leaders support these projects, citing significant job creation—up to 1,700 construction jobs per facility—and economic investment, arguing data centers are crucial for future infrastructure and regional growth. However, local residents and leaders in Lordstown have expressed concerns regarding potential utility costs, noise pollution, and environmental impact. These concerns led Lordstown village leaders to enact a temporary moratorium on a proposed data center along State Route 45, which has since become the subject of a legal dispute between the village and the unnamed developer. The report noted that data center developers are addressing environmental concerns by implementing newer technologies, such as closed-loop cooling systems to reduce water usage to levels comparable to two hotels, and incorporating on-site power generation, including small modular reactors or gas-fired plants, to ease strain on local utilities. The project in McDonald involves transforming a former steel site into a large data center campus spanning 2.5 million square feet, with initial phases focused on site cleanup and infrastructure.