SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Tensions ran high in Sangamon County Tuesday night as the board voted yes on a proposal to bring a data center to the county.
Hundreds of people filled the BOS Center in Springfield during the Sangamon County Board meeting, waiting to hear the vote on the proposed CyrusOne data center.
Over 60 people signed up for public comment, but just over a dozen were allowed to speak. Some expressed strong opposition, while others said the project is much needed for economic growth.
“I understand people’s fears about this, but this is a very good project. They bring a lot of jobs. It’s going to bring a lot of money to outlying areas, the school districts, the water plant, the Apple Creek water plant, and some townships and probably a couple of new roads,” said District 9 Board Member Tom Madonia.
Other board members felt the data center would be a threat to farmland and could have various long-term health implications.
“It takes prime land out of production, and eventually, if we keep doing this, it will have a negative effect on the ag industry. It will hurt seed companies, fertilizer companies and grain elevators,” said District 3 Board Member David Mendenhall.
Residents on both sides of the argument were passionate about the topic, with some even yelling from the audience. At times, those passions boiled over, leading to some people being escorted out of the meeting by police.
“Nobody wants this. And the people who don’t voice that, they’re already defeated because they know when the chips are down and a multi-billion-dollar company wants something, they’re going to get it,” said one resident during public comment.
“If you sit here tonight and this continues, and all these men and women who sit here quietly from labor, at the last meeting, individuals told us, ‘We hope you get asbestosis. We hope you die on a job,’” said one union member.
The final vote was 17 in favor, 10 against, with one member abstaining.
CyrusOne will still need to submit a formal proposal; Tuesday’s vote only approved the land to be used for the project.
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