Joliet Residents Sue to Block $20 Billion Data Center, Alleging City Broke State Law

The Lawsuit

A group of Joliet residents has filed a lawsuit to stop a $20 billion data center campus they say would drain local water supplies and draw power equal to the Hoover Dam.

The legal challenge was filed May 18 at the Will County Courthouse by attorneys for Joliet Residents For Responsible Growth. The plaintiffs are Craig Doorneweerd, his wife Rhonda Doorneweerd, and Pedro Garcia. All three live in unincorporated Elwood near the proposed site.

The suit asks a Will County judge to declare the Joliet City Council approval of the project void.

Procedural Violations Alleged

The lawsuit alleges the city broke state law during the approval process. The filing lists four main claims.

• The February 18 public notice for a Plan Commission meeting did not reveal the proposal involved a 24-building, 6.936-million-square-foot data center campus.
• The March 19 City Council meeting violated the Open Meetings Act because it should have occurred within 24 hours of the March 16 meeting with no agenda changes.
• The March 16 meeting denied residents the right to cross-examine developer witnesses.
• Rezoning the land from agricultural to light industrial is unconstitutional because it bears no substantial relation to public health, safety, morals, or welfare.

The city does not comment on pending litigation.

That statement came from a city spokeswoman on Tuesday, according to Shaw Local.

Water and Power Concerns

The lawsuit raises alarms about resource consumption. The filing states the campus could use between 100,000 and 150,000 gallons of water per day from an aquifer projected to fall short of peak demand by 2030.

The project's electricity demand of 1.8 gigawatts is roughly comparable to the generating capacity of the Hoover Dam, according to the lawsuit.

City staff have said the campus would use a closed-loop system that recycles water. Staff also stated the electricity demand would be self-contained.

The Economic Promise

Developers say the Joliet Technology Center would bring billions in tax revenue and thousands of jobs. The project covers 795 acres and includes four sub-campuses with 24 buildings.

• Hillwood has said the center could generate $2.1 billion for taxing bodies over 30 years.
• The project promises 7,000 to 10,000 construction jobs.
• Developers project 700 permanent high-paying jobs when fully operational.
• The first sub-campus is expected to be completed in 2028.

The Joliet City Council approved the annexation agreement 8-1 on March 19.

Conflict of Interest Claims

The lawsuit alleges a conflict of interest involving Jayne Bernhard, Joliet Planning Director. The filing claims Bernhard is the daughter of a person with a financial stake in the project.

The lawsuit states the public has not received a reliable account of how the planning review process was insulated from her influence.

District 5 Opposition

Residents say the project disproportionately burdens District 5 on Joliet's south and east sides. The lawsuit alleges the development would bring noise, traffic, vibration, light, and air quality issues to the area.

Suzanna Ibarra, the council member for District 5, was the only council member to vote against the project. She called the district a dumping ground for what other districts do not want.

Ibarra also called for greater transparency on the project. The city launched a webpage with 12 application documents several days after her request.

Defendants

The lawsuit names the city of Joliet and three companies connected to the project as defendants.

• Powerhouse Hillwood Holding
• HW Technology Park Development
• American Real Estate Partners

Shaw Local contacted the city, Hillwood, and PowerHouse Data Centers on Sunday for comment on the lawsuit.