Proposed massive $8 billion data center gets green light from Port Washington council

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A proposed $8 billion project now has the green light in Port Washington, after their common council voted Tuesday night to approve plans for a massive data center.

The project will be led by Vantage Data Centers and will sit on nearly 2,000 acres of land.

Design renderings show four proposed buildings ranging between 500,000 to 800,000 square feet each, plus a visitor center and a 50,000 square foot warehouse.

City officials said this will not come at a cost to taxpayers, as Vantage will pay significant investments upfront and be reimbursed through a tax incremental district that is funded by new property tax revenue from the project.

“This is a historic day for the City of Port Washington and our residents,” City of Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke IV said in a statement. “With this agreement in place, we can move forward on a generational opportunity to improve our infrastructure, relieve the tax burden on our residents and boost our local businesses. This agreement positions our city for a strong, vibrant future without disrupting any of the great things we all love about living here today. And it does so while protecting residents from absorbing any costs related to this project. We look forward to a continued strong partnership with Vantage on a successful project that will benefit everyone.”

But some residents, both in and out of Port Washington, said it's a cost to their homes and lives.

“It feels like we don’t matter. Like all of this feels really rotten. Everybody has been voicing concerns for months," said one man during the meeting on Aug. 19.

“You have no idea the footprint and what damage is happening to people in all these different counties and cities and country homes," another woman echoed.

The four centers are expected to use an estimated 1.3 gigawatts of power, but officials said Vantage is working with We Energies to provide enough power without any financial burden on residents.

However, others are worried about what that could look like.

“We’re talking about a project that’s supposed to bring in billions. What is or what will be done for those along the power line routes?" a man said. 

One woman added she felt like the project was moving too fast for residents to keep up.

“I understand what a data center does for us, I’ve done a little bit of reading since the talk has come around, but I do believe we need to maybe slow down a bit and dig a little bit deeper," she said. 

A petition opposing the build has garnered more than 1,200 signatures so far. To sign, click here.