Massive Grayslake data center approved without community input, neighbors say

The village of Grayslake is touting a new massive data center that will be built on 473 acres of land, bringing an estimated $18 billion in private investment. But neighbors say they weren't given an opportunity to make their voices heard before the project was approved.

The latest plans are for 6.7 million square feet of building space, built over the next seven to 10 years, according to the village.

But people who live nearby said they had no idea this was going up until it was already approved.

Someone with a good arm could throw a rock and hit the future Grayslake data center from Rob Baum's family property.

"This was all farm field," he said. "My uncle owns like five acres back there."

Baum has been on that land for three generations, and he's not happy about the new construction. He said he didn't realize what was going up until it had been approved.

"It seemed like they kinda snuck it under the table a little bit," Baum said.

That concern is shared by others.

"People didn't know it was getting approved due to ambiguous language," said Hannah Harris, resident. 

She said as soon as she learned more, she started attending village meetings. But at that point, the project had been approved.

"We had to fight to get any kind of response," she said.

As a mom of two, she said parents are fired up about the data center development. She's concerned about the environmental impact.

"They play soccer and baseball right at Alleghany field, right here," said Harris of her kids.

A spokesperson for T5 Data Centers, the company behind the new construction, pointed to a mailer that went out to the community which says electric costs will not go up, water use will be minimized and there won't be disruption to the surrounding wetlands.

"They had a blurb written about it but there's no environmental impact studies that they've shared with us anyway," Harris said.

Residents said the village didn't start sharing information on the project until they started protesting, forming the Lake County Data Center Opposition Coalition.

CBS News Chicago Investigators contacted the village to address those concerns. They got back to us after our story first aired ith a statement. 

 A memo posted to their website says "due to notice of filed litigation and upon advice of counsel" the village won't address questions.

The CEO of T5 released a statement, writing in part, "We appreciate that community members have questions and we're committed to answering them. That's why we launched a new dedicated website, are sending detailed mailers to residents, and continually meeting with stakeholders."

The statement continued on to say that many in Grayslake are excited about the project and the impact it will have on the community.

Critics are skeptical.

"They tell us it's not going to affect us; is there any guarantee on that?" Baum wondered.

Statement from Pete Marin, CEO & Chairman of T5 Data Centers, regarding the initial building permit for the first phase of the new T5 campus:

"This is an important milestone in the Cornerstone Development, an $18 billion investment in the Village of Grayslake and the surrounding community. Over the last two decades, we've worked closely with communities around the country to ensure every data center we build and operate is undertaken responsibly and directly benefits local residents. Grayslake is no exception.  

"The Grayslake community has asked many questions about this project and we're committed to answering them. We also want to make sure we incorporate extensive community input.

"Last month, that meant voluntarily withdrawing our application to remediate local wetlands after hearing directly from residents. This month, it meant working with the Village to commit to standards and accountability measures that meet or exceed state and local law on sound mitigation, as well as water and electricity usage. We're grateful to the Village for a rigorous approval process, and we're looking forward to being a good neighbor as this project moves forward -- generating $1.4 billion in property tax and permit fee revenue that can be used to dramatically expand funding for community schools, parks, and libraries, while delivering tax relief directly to residents."

Statement from Village of Grayslake

The Village of Grayslake recently issued the initial building permit for the first facility at the T5 campus within the Cornerstone property along Peterson Road. The 800,000 square-foot structure marks the operational start of an expected $18 billion multi-building private investment.

The development was secured without local tax incentives, exemptions, or TIF subsidies, and is projected to generate $1.4 billion in property tax revenue over 20 years across local taxing bodies.

Because the Village operates with a balanced budget and zero municipal debt, this new revenue does not need to go toward paying off debt or covering past obligations. Instead, the full amount can go directly to work for residents, whether through direct household relief or investment in major community projects such as downtown improvements, expanded trails and open space, and infrastructure upgrades.

The facility must meet the same rigorous local and state regulatory standards as any structure built in Grayslake, and this permit is not a blank check — environmentally responsible growth remains a top priority.