WILMINGTON, Ohio — Wilmington city officials have delayed final approval of a $4 billion Amazon data center project after weeks of intense opposition from residents.
The massive facility would span 471 acres off U.S. 68 in Wilmington, but community members have flooded council meetings and organized townhalls to voice concerns about the project's impact.
"There is not a facility like this anywhere else to compare to. You have no idea what the harmful effects will be," one resident said at Thursday night's meeting.
Jessica Sharp, who lives directly next to the proposed site, is leading efforts to stop the project. She said residents were kept in the dark about the development.
Jay has been covering the proposal in Wilmington for WCPO. You can contact him here:
"We just moved into our homes four or five months ago each. Nobody told us this was going on, that this was in the works," Sharp said. "You build what you think is going to be your forever home, and then you find out it's not going to be a farmer's field behind you anymore. When I found out that day, it was devastating. There were a lot of tears shed."
Councilmember Jamie Knowles cast the only dissenting vote when the project came before the council on Dec. 4. He has said that too many questions remain unanswered about the data center's impact on the community.
Watch: What's next for Wilmington community organizers and the fight against this data center
The Clinton County Port Authority, which supports the project, says it will bring economic growth and create 100 permanent jobs.
Sharp said if the data center moves forward, it should be built with care.
"If we do have to have the center, it needs to be responsibly built. It needs to be mindful of the residents that are already here and respectful of this land and this community," she said.
Additional townhalls are planned for early January, giving residents more opportunities to ask questions outside of regular city council meetings.
The delay allows city officials more time to study the project and address community concerns before making a final decision.
