Developer presents tax abatement , PILOT programs for proposed Perry data center

At an April 23 Perry Village Council meeting, Province Group CEO Mark Kerslake and Senior Vice President of Project Management Timothy Ramm presented a proposal for tax abatement and payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) programs for their planned data center campus in Perry Village and Township, Ohio. The developer described the financial benefits as "staggering," projecting over $326 million in total property tax revenue over 31 years, even with a requested 15-year, 75 percent tax abatement on improvements. The proposed campus, comprising six 200,000-square-foot buildings, would be constructed on 217 acres of the former Champion Farm property, largely owned by Perry Village, Perry Township, and the Perry Joint Economic Development District, which Province Group has entered into sales agreements to acquire. Province Group announced an initial $2.7 million PILOT payment upon land sale completion, intended for immediate community needs such as fire district ambulance refurbishments, park improvements, a new police cruiser, and support for local organizations like the Perry Senior Center and a food pantry. Ongoing PILOTs, excluding a plan still under negotiation with the Perry School District, are projected to total nearly $8 million. The meeting, moved to accommodate a larger audience, allowed no public questions or comments during the presentation. Outside the venue, approximately 175 attendees and additional protestors demonstrated against the project, displaying signs with messages like "No Data Centers — Protect Our Water" and "No Abatement." Residents Kathy Hanratty and Trish Brass voiced strong opposition, with Hanratty criticizing the focus on money over environmental impact, particularly water usage. Brass questioned the developer's financial projections, citing Province Group's lack of prior U.S. data center construction, and opposed the tax abatement, arguing residents pay 100 percent of their taxes. Ramm, however, stated Province relied on third-party experts, Bradley Paine Advisors and Incentive Review Group, to validate their financial modeling.