City council gives green light to 550-acre data center campus

The Yorkville City Council recently granted approval for Project Steel, a significant 550-acre, 16-building data center campus to be located south of Galena Road and west of Eldamain Road. The decision, which included the approval of annexation, a planned unit development, and a development agreement, came after nearly two hours of public commentary during a full house at Yorkville City Hall. Residents expressed considerable opposition, citing concerns over potential pollution, noise, and water usage, with one resident considering moving due to the project's impact on community space. Conversely, local trades representatives and Alderman Joe Plocher advocated for the project, emphasizing the creation of numerous good-paying union jobs, long-term investment in Yorkville, and an expanded tax base that could alleviate the burden of high property taxes on residents. Project Steel representatives stated that the developer would pay $40 million in upfront impact fees, largely benefiting the Yorkville 115 School District. They project thousands of construction jobs and approximately 500 permanent jobs upon full buildout. The campus is estimated to use about 25,000 gallons of water daily, with peaks up to 42,500 gallons. City officials anticipate substantial tax revenue from property and electric taxes. This approval marks Project Steel as one of three data centers greenlit by the city council, alongside Project Cardinal and a CyrusOne Data Center.