Plans for AI data center at former Pennhurst State Hospital rejected
Plans for an AI data center at the former Pennhurst State Hospital in East Vincent Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, have been officially rejected. Township officials cited zoning problems, environmental concerns, and quality of life impacts as reasons for denying the project. Opponents are hailing the decision as a major victory against large-scale data center development in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Plans for an AI data center at the former Pennhurst State Hospital site in East Vincent Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, have been officially canceled. The property, once a mental asylum and now a ticketed haunted house attraction, was the subject of a proposal to convert 125 acres into a data center.
However, local officials rejected the project last week, citing significant concerns regarding zoning, environmental impact, and potential quality of life issues for residents. The decision has been met with strong approval from opponents of the development.
Democratic State Senator Katie Muth lauded the rejection, stating that the decision was "made in the best interest of the public, not big tech groups seeking to profit off of poisoning our community." Opponents have called the outcome a major win against large-scale data center development in the Philadelphia suburbs.