City hears apology and reviews 1.66 million-square-foot data center plan

In a leaked recording of a conversation between city officials, Hermantown Police Chief Jim Crace can be heard calling one proposed Google data center opponent an “idiot” after turning his name into an offensive pun, and calling another a “gong show.” Multiple recordings of Hermantown officials spanning nearly 10 months have been circulating on local social media and were first reported on by the Duluth Monitor. At Monday’s city council meeting, Crace issued a public apology. “The comments I made were inappropriate, insulting, disrespectful and uncalled for,” he said. Jackie Dolentz, speaking on behalf of Stop the Hermantown Data Center, said the timings and tone of the recordings suggest they were not isolated incidents, but part of a culture of “abhorrent” behavior.” “The proposed hyperscale data center carries significant and lasting implications for Hermantown, Duluth and the surrounding region,” she said during the council’s public comment period. “Regardless of one’s position on the project, decisions of this magnitude require process the public can trust.” Google representative Tyler Huebner shared the most recent design proposal for the 1.66 million square-foot project, saying the company took resident’s feedback into consideration.