McDonald, Ohio, discusses data center project; resident incentives questioned
McDonald, Ohio's Mayor Ray Lewis has been actively working for two years to bring a data center to the village, including lobbying for state tax exemptions and pushing for zoning code changes. A watchdog report raises concerns that the mayor has not secured incentives for residents, unlike other communities. A public forum is currently being held to present the project to a skeptical public.
A WFMJ watchdog report revealed extensive email and text message exchanges between Youngstown and McDonald, Ohio officials and data center companies over the past two years. The investigation highlights Mayor Ray Lewis's proactive efforts to bring a data center to the village of McDonald, specifically at the former McDonald's steel plant, which would be the village's first commercial development in over 50 years.
The report raises concerns that Mayor Lewis's eagerness to facilitate the project may have led him to overlook securing incentives for residents. While other communities, like Hazel Township, Pennsylvania, and Yorkville, Illinois, have negotiated substantial upfront payments or household benefits from data center developers, the documents indicate no discussions about incentives for McDonald residents during two years of talks with Applied Partners and Oppedin, the company seeking to build the data center.
Furthermore, Mayor Lewis actively lobbied Ohio legislators to protect the state's data center tax exemption and worked closely with Oppedin and Applied Partners to amend the village's zoning code to include data centers as a permissive use. Despite initial plans for the planning commission to research data centers, Lewis appears to have fast-tracked a vote to recommend the zone change. Currently, Oppedin representatives are holding a public forum at McDonald High School to address a skeptical public and "derisk" the project.