Developer details expansive Starpointe data center proposal
Prime Data Centers is proposing a large data center campus and natural gas power plant in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania. The project requires a conditional use permit, which is currently under review by the Hanover Township Board of Supervisors. Residents have voiced strong opposition during packed public hearings, which are scheduled to continue.
Prime Data Centers LLC, based in Dallas, Texas, is advancing its proposal for an expansive data center campus and an attached 350-megawatt natural gas power plant at Starpointe Business Park in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania. Senior Vice President of Development Kate Nolan Bryden, the project lead, testified before the Hanover Township Board of Supervisors regarding a conditional use permit, emphasizing the campus's approximately 1.8 million square feet across seven buildings and its independent power supply from the local grid.
The proposal has met with significant community opposition. Over 200 residents attended a recent hearing at the Hanover Township Volunteer Fire Department hall in Burgettstown, with many displaying signs and vocally opposing the project. The Board of Supervisors has scheduled four additional hearings through September to deliberate on the conditional use permit, following two previous incomplete sessions. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is also reviewing an application for an air quality permit for the power plant component.
Prime is under contract to purchase 155 acres from ALTIAN Development LLC for the facility. Bryden highlighted the project's economic benefits, including 300 temporary construction jobs per building and 40-60 permanent positions, along with a significant capital investment. She noted the facility would use advanced closed-loop cooling systems to minimize water consumption and pursue ENERGY STAR certification. Bryden affirmed Prime's commitment to community engagement and trust in the local process.