Proposed Location of Chillicothe Data Center is Big Blue Chilpaco Building
A proposed data center is being considered for the former Chilpaco paper mill's "Big Blue" building in Chillicothe, Ohio. The city council has received public input regarding concerns, and council member Kathy Dunn is researching potential legislation for data centers. Site owner John Todoroki suggested external equipment would face Bridge Street with a tree buffer.
A data center is proposed to be located in the "Big Blue" Chilpaco paper mill building on Eastern Avenue near South Bridge Street in Chillicothe, Ohio. This location was hinted at during the August 10th council session, following a July 2nd announcement about a presumed data center on the paper mill site.
During the session, council member Kathy Dunn presented a committee report, explaining that the 44-acre Chilpaco property has been divided into multiple parcels. She clarified in an interview that the proposed data center would occupy the "ASRS" Building 325, also known as the Automated Storage Retrieval System or Roll Storage building, a large windowless blue structure built in 1993-1994. Site owner John Todoroki, who purchased the 460-plus-acre paper mill facility in October after it was shut down, indicated during a tour that noisy external equipment for the data center would be placed on the west side, facing Bridge Street, with a buffer of trees.
Public input and concerns regarding the data center proposal were heard by the council on August 10th. Council member Dunn has been tasked with gathering information to formulate possible legislation concerning data centers. Other developments are also planned for the site, now advertised as the "Chilpaco Innovation Campus."