Community groups presenting unified front against Grayslake data center
Community groups in Grayslake, Illinois, are actively opposing a planned AI data center by T5 Data Centers, with civil actions expected to be filed to halt or delay the project. Concerns include the project's size, its impact on wetlands, and water usage, despite the village's assurances regarding a closed-loop cooling system.
Community opposition to T5 Data Centers' proposed AI data center in Grayslake, Illinois, is intensifying, with two local groups and a law firm preparing to file civil actions and seek an injunction to halt or delay the project.
The Lake County Data Center Opposition Coalition (LCDCOC), led by president Michael Smith, and the No Data Center in Grayslake, IL.-Lake County, IL., were formed earlier this year due to perceived discrepancies between developer and municipal information regarding the project's size. Smith stated the LCDCOC has grown to 25,030 active volunteers and has engaged an attorney to investigate the project, anticipating a county court injunction against T5 development at the Cornerstone Campus.
Approved by the Grayslake Village Board in March 2025, the project, if fully built out, would span over 400 acres with 20 buildings. Significant concerns include the developer's permit application to fill 15.75 acres of wetlands, which critics argue would lead to an