ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A massive data center proposal is up for debate again Tuesday in Allentown.
Developers want to convert vacant warehouse space into an 80-megawatt data center on West Emmaus Avenue.
This data center proposal has undergone a series of revisions and faced a lot of public opposition.
Tuesday, the city’s planning commission could decide its fate.
The proposal by Quantum Group LLC calls for converting a vacant 224,000-square-foot warehouse at 2401 W. Emmaus Avenue into an 80-megawatt data center.
The location is in the city’s general industrial zoning district.
“Most people oppose data centers like it’s not that they don’t want them here; they don’t want them anywhere but much less in Allentown in a densely packed area,” said Owen Levan-Uhler.
Owen is a volunteer with Lehigh Valley Stands Up, a group that actively opposes data centers. He says despite the area being zoned as industrial, the proposal’s location still raises concerns.
The warehouse space the developers want to use is directly across the street from Camelot for Children, a nonprofit that helps kids with serious health conditions.
“Yes, it is technically in an industrial zone, but this industrial zone is in close proximity to residences to other businesses, and then to the middle school and to Camelot for Children,” Owen said.
The developers have made adjustments to the proposal based on the commission’s feedback so far, including sound attenuation walls and adding an electrical substation.
“Now whether they actually follow through on those promises remains to be seen,” Owen said.
Tuesday’s city planning commission meeting is the final land development application. The meeting will be held at 12:15 p.m. at City Hall in Allentown.