Lake County residents fight $18B data center project in court

GRAYSLAKE, Ill. – A judge is expected to hear arguments Friday in a lawsuit seeking to block an $18 billion data center development in Grayslake that has drawn strong opposition from nearby residents.

Data center lawsuit

What we know:

The lawsuit, filed in July by neighborhood groups, targets the village of Grayslake and developer T5 Data Centers. The groups are asking the court to intervene, accusing village officials of overstepping zoning laws, violating due process and breaking the Illinois Open Meetings Act to move the project forward.

Opponents have also raised concerns about potential noise, environmental damage to local wetlands and the facility’s expected consumption of water and electricity.

The other side:

The village and developers have pushed back against the criticism, arguing the project would bring significant economic benefits to the area. They estimate the development could generate $1.4 billion in property tax revenue over 20 years, create hundreds of construction jobs and provide more than 1,000 permanent positions once completed.

Construction activity has already begun. In September, Grayslake issued its first building permit for an 800,000-square-foot facility.

What’s next:

Friday’s 9 a.m. court hearing will focus on a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. A final ruling is not necessarily expected during the hearing.