Joliet City Council approves plans for Illinois' largest data center
The Joliet City Council on Thursday approved plans for a 795-acre data center, which would be the largest such facility in Illinois.
Only one council member voted against the project. The decision came after months of back and forth over the facility, which would hold servers and storage for artificial intelligence.
The proposed site would go in a rural field right next to the Chicagoland Speedway at the intersection of Rowell and Bernhard roads. That's where 24 buildings housing the equipment would be built on what is currently farm land. The developer, HW Technology Park Development LLC, said the project would be up and running in 2030.
"This annexation agreement sets clear expectations for infrastructure, services, and community benefits while helping ensure the project moves forward in a responsible way," Joliet City Manager Beth Beatty said in a statement. "It also delivers substantial new revenue for local taxing bodies and longterm financial benefits for the community."
At a public hearing on the data center on Monday, Joliet officials listened to several hours of comments from the public, mostly from people opposed to the data center over concerns about its impact on health and utility bills. Public comments lasted so long at Monday night's meeting, the council had to delay the vote on the data center until Thursday.
The crowd attending Thursday's council meeting was so large, some had to sit in the lobby to listen in. At one point, police officers removed people who were talking out of turn.
The vote was met with a lot of emotion, with some people in Joliet in tears over what the project will mean for their community. Others welcomed the move with applause, optimistic it could bring in more jobs.
"I'm extremely disappointed today after the vote," Serena Guzman said. "I would like to say that I would like to see committees that involve our Spanish-speaking communities. I am so disappointed that there are two Hispanics up there that have failed your community. There is one person up there with a backbone."
Thomas Fulara, a union member, said he supported the data center because of the jobs it would bring in for the construction industry.
Longtime Joliet resident Kathleen Garthus said other development in the city has left her homeless, and she's devastated to see the pattern continue.
"It affects your whole life. Your quality of life is gone, your peace and quietness is gone, and your health suffers," she said.
ComEd officials have said the energy needed to keep the center operating would not raise electric bills for residents or businesses. The developer said no water would be needed to cool the facility, only to get it up and running. They also said it could bring Joliet $2 billion in tax revenue.
Joliet officials estimated the project would create 7,000 to 10,000 construction jobs and 700 permanent jobs. The developer also has pledged $100 million to improve sidewalks, streets, and other city services in Joliet.