Port Washington locals torn on incoming $8 billion data center
PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (CBS 58) - The site plan for a $8 billion data center has been approved in Port Washington and dirt will be moved for the center this month.
“It will introduce tech jobs to our region, we’ll become a hub for other secondary and tertiary businesses, and it will bring in a significant influx of opportunities for our local businesses,” Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke said.
Neitzke says the city got involved with the idea for the center because around 80% of the city’s tax base is residential homeowners.
“If there’s any relief that we can do while the values of the properties continue to go up, because we are a desired community, we have to take that step strategically,” Neitzke said.
Kathleen Mcglone has lived in Ozaukee County for over 30 years and now calls Port Washington home.
“The power draw, the water draw, the noise, I don’t want any of it,” Mcglone said. “We don’t have the money, the wherewithal, the guts, the lawyers, the deep pockets to stop it.”
Mcglone is also concerned about the land that was given up to build the center.
“It should be in an industrial area not in a farming area, definitely not close to the lake,” Mcglone said. “I get it, it’s cheaper for them but we’re paying the price for all of it.”
Oz Karlsvik also lives in Port Washington but feels like the data center is a great thing for the city he calls home.
“I’m really excited about it, and I think it’s going to be really good for the community,” Karlsvik said. “It’s going to bring a lot of good paying jobs into the community which will help all the shopkeepers and all the people who own homes here.”
Neitzke says the goal is to have the first phase of the data center up and running in four to five years.
“For the city of Port Washington, we wanted to maintain control of the process, make sure that it was a nice community fit with our values, that it was on the outskirts of town and that it did not impact historical parts of our city,” Neitzke said.