HAMILTON, Ohio — A proposed $100 million data center project in Hamilton has some residents concerned over negative impacts on the community.
According to the city's website, Hamilton entered into a development agreement with Logistix Property Group last year regarding a proposed data center located on 29 acres of vacant lot at 1380 University Boulevard. The city says the project would be fully funded by the developer, and not by Hamilton residents.
The city says they are still in "very early stages," including conducting studies to determine if a new data center could be served at the site. The project still has to go through an approval process with the city and state, according to Hamilton's website, and a timeline has not yet been confirmed. Logistix has brought in Wharton and LightHouse to take over as lead developers, per the city.
Hamilton owns their own utility company and operates all four major utilities. According to Logistix, this gives the city an incentive to sell power capacity.
The city says the facility would become a new customer of Hamilton's electric system, and the data center would fully cover its own costs. During the approval process, the city says a review of environmental impact, electrical capacity and transmission will be completed.
On Logistix's website, the project is estimated at 100+ Megawatts. The City of Hamilton says it is too early to determine the size of the project.
Hamilton does have an existing data center that has operated from 103 Knightsbridge Drive since 2005.
While discussions of the project were not on the agenda for Hamilton City Council's Wednesday meeting, several residents shared their thoughts and questions about the project.
Hamilton Mayor Pat Moeller said there would not be a vote on the project that night, contrary to what one council member described as misinformation on social media.
"All it is right now is just conversations. There's nothing in ink, there's nothing brick and mortar, there's nothing that's going to be installed, no interruption, nothing at all," said council member Timothy Naab.
One resident said she lives close to the location of the proposed project and worries about potential light and noise pollution. She raised questions over how the light and noise would potentially disrupt learning at a nearby school.
Similar environmental concerns were echoed by several other speakers.
"I just do not believe with the information as of yet that the benefits outweigh the risks," one resident said.
Hamilton says the developers are "experts on addressing any potential concerns regarding environmental impacts."
Another resident said she lives one block away from the site of the proposed data center, and does not believe it should be built in a residential community, calling the project "detrimental" to the neighborhood.
"I am outraged that the City of Hamilton would even consider this," she said.
Several speakers expressed concerns over hikes in water and electricity bills, as well as dropping water pressure. The city's website says having a data center would not result in higher bills.
Hamilton's website also lists ways in which the data center would benefit the community. One of the benefits stated was the creation of "well-paying local jobs." Several residents asked for details on the possible jobs, including the number of potential jobs created and expected salary ranges.
Other benefits outlined by Hamilton include boosting revenue for the city's electrical system, strengthening funding for essential services, attracting long-term investment and using the center to provide learning experiences for students in AI, software and hardware.
"This project represents new revenue, new jobs and long-term stability, without added costs to residents," Hamilton's website says.
The city posted a frequently asked questions sheet on their website and social media, but some residents at Wednesday's meeting said they found it to be vague. One speaker said the FAQ sheet increased her concerns about the project and sparked more questions.
The council said all questions raised at the meeting would be added to the ongoing sheet, which can be found here.
