Data Centers | March 26, 2026
Yorkville approves its third data center on a 550-acre campus; a Jackson County judge clears the path for Independence's $150 billion Nebius project; Tulsa unanimously passes a moratorium through year-end.
At A Glance 🔽
- Yorkville, IL approves annexation and development agreement for "Project Steel".
- Trenton, OH Planning Commission could vote March 30 on Prologis' 880,000-square-foot "Project Mila".
- Festus, MO schedules a March 30 special meeting that will consider the CRG development agreement.
- Independence, MO data center advances after a Jackson County judge rules tax break incentives are not subject to referendum.
- Tulsa, OK City Council unanimously approves a moratorium on new hyperscale data centers through December 31.
- Palo, IA residents accuse Google of annexing land into the city to avoid Linn County's data center ordinance.
- Birmingham, AL committee recommends a citywide data center ordinance to full council; public hearing set for April 28.
- Hempfield, PA supervisors approve updated zoning restricting data centers to industrial zones before any proposals arrive.
- New Orleans, LA Planning Commission defers zoning recommendation on data centers to April 28 as residents push for a permanent ban.
- Archbald, PA schedules a Friday special meeting on Provident Realty's 18-building "Project Scott" campus to avoid a deemed-approval deadline.
YORKVILLE
Illinois
Yorkville City Council approved annexation, a planned unit development, and a development agreement Tuesday for "Project Steel", a 550-acre, 16-building data center campus south of Galena Road and west of Eldamain Road.
The developer will pay $40 million in impact fees upfront, with most of that going to the Yorkville 115 School District. Project Steel is projected to create thousands of construction jobs and about 500 permanent positions at full buildout. The campus would use roughly 25,000 gallons of water per day, or about 42,500 gallons on peak days. This is Yorkville's third approved data center, joining Project Cardinal and the CyrusOne facility.
TRENTON
Ohio
Trenton's Planning Commission could vote March 30 on a site plan for "Project Mila", an 880,000-square-foot data center proposed by San Francisco-based Prologis on 141 acres in Trenton Industrial Park. City department staff confirmed the site plan meets zoning code requirements, and Prologis says it has already obtained several permits. Initial groundwork and grading are underway for an electric substation.
The project would consist of four buildings at 220,000 square feet each and is projected to create 140 jobs. Prologis says the cooling system uses water only 3% of the year with no chemical additives, and the company will cover all power system upgrades. Residents organized in the Woodsdale and Trenton Environmental Resistance Facebook group have asked the city for a moratorium. Water, sewer, and stormwater fees could bring $120,000 to the city annually.
FESTUS
Missouri
Dane Artisola
Continuation... new packed meeting after the March 12 petition story.
About 400 people packed the Festus High School gym Monday night for a four-hour City Council meeting over a proposed CRG data center development north of Hwy. 67 and west of Hwy. CC. Of the 64 people who signed up to speak, roughly 40 opposed the project and about 10 spoke in favor. Opponents frequently drowned out pro-data center speakers with chants.
Mayor Sam Richards announced the city had reached a framework agreement with CRG of St. Louis on March 20. MarksNelson Advisors, the firm the city hired to negotiate incentives, presented the deal's benefits during a work session before the meeting. A special meeting is scheduled for March 30 at the high school gym to consider formal approval of the development agreement.
INDEPENDENCE
Missouri
Dane Artisola
Continuation... judge rules on the referendum.
A Jackson County judge ruled Wednesday that tax break incentives for Independence's planned Nebius data center do not legally qualify for a referendum, clearing the way for the $150 billion, 400-acre project to move forward. Judge Jennifer Phillips also reversed a previous decision that had extended the deadline for residents to collect referendum signatures.
The ruling eliminates a legal challenge to a $6.2 billion incentive package approved by city officials for the Dutch AI services company, including 90% to 98% tax breaks. Nebius will instead pay PILOT fees projected to bring more than $650 million to schools and other taxing jurisdictions over 20 years. The three organizers who filed suit on March 9 say they are considering an appeal and plan to submit their roughly 2,200 collected signatures Monday as a symbolic show of opposition.
TULSA
Oklahoma
"Consideration and possible approval, adoption, denial, amendment or revision of an Ordinance declaring a 365‐day Moratorium..."
Tulsa City Council unanimously approved a moratorium on new hyperscale data center construction Wednesday, with the pause remaining in effect through December 31. The ordinance exempts Project Anthem's first two phases, the only large-scale data center currently in the pipeline, while freezing permits for any new projects.
Data Center Moratorium (3-25-2026)
The council's Planning Office must provide updates roughly every 60 days.
Dane Artisola
Continuation... update from March 12 Hearing.
PALO
Iowa
Palo residents are questioning why Google chose to annex land into the small city rather than build in unincorporated Linn County, which already has a data center ordinance in place. Residents argue Google stands to benefit from the city's lack of regulations compared to the county's existing rules.
Mayor Bryan Busch called the insinuation that Google is trying to skirt regulations insulting, saying the company has been upfront in discussions so far. Busch said Palo will lean on Linn County's ordinance as a reference while drafting its own rules. He could not provide details on potential water, energy, or economic impacts, saying the process is still in early stages.
BIRMINGHAM
Alabama
Birmingham's committee of the whole recommended a citywide data center ordinance to the full City Council during a special meeting, with the proposed rules creating separate regulations for "hyperscale" facilities that use more than 30 megawatts of power. The council will schedule a public hearing for April 28.
Data Center Draft Ordinance
Planning Commission
Public Hearing
Staff Overview: Background, Purpose of Group, and Planning Considerations
HEMPFIELD
Pennsylvania
Hempfield supervisors approved updated zoning this week to permit data centers only in industrial zones, getting ahead of any proposals before they arrive. Planning manager Matthew Pernelli confirmed the township has not received any data center plans, and township manager Aaron Siko said none are forthcoming.
The proactive move comes as 57 data centers are currently proposed across Pennsylvania, according to Track Data Centers.
NEW ORLEANS
Louisiana
New Orleans' Planning Commission voted to defer its zoning recommendation on data centers to April 28 as more than a dozen residents pushed for a permanent ban. The City Council passed a temporary one-year ban on data centers in January and asked the commission to recommend new zoning rules.
The deferral came after residents near Interstate 10 and Read Boulevard received a letter in December from a company called MS Solar Grid Data about a potential development. The commission's executive director, Robert Rivers, says no formal proposal has been submitted. Multiple commissioners echoed residents' concerns, saying the city lacks a regulatory framework to address data center impacts.
ARCHBALD
Pennsylvania
Archbald scheduled a special meeting for Friday at 1 p.m. to consider a conditional use application for "Project Scott," a campus of up to 18 data centers proposed by Provident Realty Advisors of Dallas, Texas. Each building would be up to 90 feet tall with a 154,850-square-foot footprint, spanning about 400 acres along Eynon Jermyn Road and Business Route 6.
The meeting was called after council postponed Monday's public hearing because The Times-Tribune did not publish required public notices. Under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, the borough must hold subsequent hearings within 45 days or the application is deemed approved, putting the deadline at this weekend unless the developer agrees to an extension.
Dane Artisola
Continuation... follows March 24 postponed hearing
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