Developers agree to re-phase Project Cardinal data center in Yorkville in settlement with resident
A settlement has been reached with a Yorkville resident who sued the city and developers of the Project Cardinal data center, leading to a re-phasing of construction. Developers also received an 18-month extension to acquire property titles, with failure potentially voiding the entire project. The city faces another lawsuit from residents over the project's approval process.
Developers of the Project Cardinal data center in Yorkville have agreed to re-phase construction following a settlement with resident John Bryan, who had sued the City of Yorkville and the developers. Bryan's lawsuit sought to halt the project, arguing that the 14 two-story warehouses would negatively impact his property values and quality of life.
The settlement dictates a "northeast-southeast-west" construction order, a change from the city's previously approved plan that would have started near residential areas. While the city made no financial payment to Bryan, the developers and Bryan may pursue a separate side agreement. The City Council approved the settlement on June 23, and developers have applied for a major Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendment to reflect the new phasing, which is slated for discussion and a vote in July.
In addition to the re-phasing, the developers faced another setback as the City Council granted an 18-month extension to acquire all property titles for the 305-acre annexation portion of the project. Failure to meet the new December 31, 2027 deadline would render the entire annexation agreement, PUD, utility agreement, and a $51 million upfront payment null and void, potentially jeopardizing the entire data center project.
Project Cardinal also faces a second lawsuit from a community organization, Preserve Our Yorkville & Community LLC, alleging the city failed to properly notify residents before approving the project. This group's lawsuit also questions the comprehensiveness of environmental, sound, traffic, and property value studies. Mayor John Purcell indicated that the City Council has no further interest in approving new data center proposals beyond the already approved Project Cardinal, Project Steel, and a 228-acre CyrusOne data center, despite earlier plans for a "data center alley" with numerous proposals.