WILMINGTON — Dozens of people gathered to discuss potential data centers in Wilmington.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
News Center 7’s Malik Patterson attended a town hall meeting today. He shares their concerns and questions tonight on News Center at 11:00.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 2 injured after crash involving SUV closed part of I-75, report says
- Area firefighters rescue missing dog trapped in well
- Father files lawsuit against children’s hospital for death of infant daughter
Many residents say that they are upset about the two proposed centers on almost 1,000 acres of land.
As previously reported by News Center 7, Amazon Web Services wants to build a nearly 500-acre, $4 billion data center off US-68 in Wilmington. The city council wants to add another 545 acres to the plan.
One of the residents’ main points was that the proposed reward does not match the risks.
They say there are so many questions that are being answered by the city council and companies themselves.
The buyer is another company.
Jessica Sharp said there is still so much to learn about both.
“I’m feeling more positive about the second one because we’re catching it early enough to really have a meaningful opportunity to voice our input,” she said.
The next city council meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 5. The council voted to move this plan to its second reading.
If approved, the project would take five to six years to build and bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city.
News Center 7’s I-Team previously obtained a statement from Amazon spokesperson Kylee Yonas regarding data centers across the region.
“Our data centers in Ohio exceed industry efficiency standards,” Yonas told the I-Team. “Our Water Use Effectiveness score, which measures the amount of water used per unit of computing power, is three times better than the U.S. industry average. Our commitment to the communities where we operate is equally important, which is why we have invested more than $19.7 billion in Ohio, creating thousands of jobs and supporting local communities through education programs, skills training, and renewable energy projects.”
In addition, Amazon told the I-Team, “We follow standard industry practices with full transparency. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and corporate structures are common in major infrastructure projects, and we work openly with local governments and utilities to ensure fair cost-sharing for any needed infrastructure.”
As of now, there is no timeline for when construction could start for the data center.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
