Joliet reconvenes data center meeting for a council vote on Thursday

The Joliet City Council is set to reconvene Thursday at 5:30 p.m. for a crucial vote on a proposed 795-acre data center project. This follows an extraordinary public hearing on Monday, which was unexpectedly extended past midnight due to a high volume of public speakers, most of whom voiced opposition. City Manager Beth Beatty urged council members to conclude discussions as the midnight hour approached to avoid violating a new state law prohibiting public meetings on primary election days, which was Tuesday. The city issued a news release confirming the Thursday meeting, but specified that it would not include additional public comment opportunities on the data center before the council's vote. Developer Hillwood, represented by Executive Vice President Donald Schoenheider, presented the project, but faced five hours of public comment from approximately 100 individuals who largely opposed the development.