Last month, the Hermantown City Council voted yes on a zoning change that open a door for a super data center to be built in the area. The very next day, the community, specifically a group called Stop the Hermantown Data Center, filed a petition with the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) that would delay progress.  Clearly there are two different views on what a data center could mean to the community of Hermantown.  

Last week, the developers “hit a pause button” with plans to hold an open house to address community concerns. “Hermantown’s Wicklund said if the city determines that additional environmental study is not required, the planning and zoning commission could take up the permits at its next meeting on Nov. 18.” That meeting has been cancelled and apparently the topic is no longer on the City Council’s agenda for its Dec. 1 meeting.

Data centers have been a controversial topic in a few other towns in Minnesota too, such as Farmington. Why is it controversial? There are pros and cons. For sake of brevity, I’ll just pull out two perspectives. (You can find many more, for both sides in the articles below.)

Proponents say:

• From MPR: The city has not revealed who is behind the project, saying only that it is a “U.S.-based Fortune 50 company.” The $650 million project would be built over eight to ten years. Proponents say it would create hundreds of construction jobs and at least 40 permanent positions, while generating up to $1 million a year in commercial tax revenues, according to the city.

Opponents Say:

• From WDIO: “The biggest concerns I have besides everything else people have said: property value going down. My kids are 9 and 7. My husband and I will not be there once they’re graduated. Last one graduates in 2036. Who’s going to want to buy my property if this building is, this big data center is there? Nobody. They might for a very nice price, but I’m not going to get my money’s worth.” said resident Anna Estep.

It seems that two other sticking points are that the potential owner of the data center has not been revealed. Also, the community seemed unaware of negotiations happening between the City Council and outside developer.

This is a story in its earlier chapters; I thought a timeline might help.

• Jan 2, 2025: Hermantown lands $2 million grant for developing industrial park at former Superfund site
• May 7, 2025: Mystery developer proposes 1.8M-square-foot industrial park in Duluth suburb
• May 21, 2025: A massive development is proposed for a northeastern Minnesota city. Local officials aren’t saying what it is.
  “The industrial project proposed for Hermantown carries some hallmarks of a data center.”
• May 27, 2025: Potential 200-acre industrial development proposed for Hermantown
  “Recent flyers asking Hermantown residents if they’d be willing to sell their properties is sparking questions about a new development that could be coming to the southwest part of the city.
  Roughly 200 acres of land west of Midway Road could become the site of a big industrial project, according to a preliminary environmental review document.
  The document released by the city states that the project could span a total of 1.8 million square feet of light industrial development.
  Hermantown city officials confirmed the city has signed a nondisclosure agreement with Minneapolis construction firm Mortenson.”
• June 28, 2025: Reader’s View: Protect Minnesota resources from data centers
  A letter from a reader starts, “Hermantown officials seem to be stonewalling residents over an issue that could affect citizens around the region.”
• September 9, 2025: The Herman Industrial  AUAR is published
  “This EAW form is being used to delineate the issues and analyses to be reviewed in an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR). Where the AUAR guidance provided by the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) indicates that an AUAR response should differ notably from what is required for an EAW, the guidance is noted in italics.”
  This document includes a wealth of correspondence related to the proposed project including:
  March 24:  A memorandum from Kimley Horn, “Kimley-Horn was contracted by [redacted] to complete a level 1 desktop review of the Project Loon – Hermantown study area for potential wetlands and waterways.
  Sept 4: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources writes to City of Hermantown- Community Development Director about the Hermantown Industrial Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR)
• October 6, 2025: Hermantown OK’s data center review plan
  “On October 6, the city of Hermantown officially confirmed what’s been long speculated by the public: the possibility of a data center being built within the city – drawing both support and skepticism from the community.
  According to the Alternative Urban Area Review (AUAR), a 400-plus page document laying out details to be reviewed for the project, the proposed site being studied totals 403 acres, and could include over 1.8 million square feet in construction. The plot is located in the southwest part of the city, on Midway Road.”
• October 20, 2025: Packed Hermantown meeting draws hundreds ahead of data center re-zoning vote
  This real-time report captures the mood in the room: “City officials say the project could create hundreds of jobs and generate millions in tax revenue for the region.
  But not everyone is on board. A crowd of more than 200 people filled City Hall to capacity Monday night, with many more gathered outside.
  Most who spoke during public comment opposed the proposal, raising concerns about noise, environmental impacts, and the loss of Hermantown’s rural character.”
• October 21, 2025: Controversial northern Minnesota data center proposal advances despite opposition
  “A controversial proposed data center in northeast Minnesota received a key approval Monday evening, when the Hermantown City Council voted for a zoning change that allows the massive development to continue to move forward.
  The 4-0 vote to rezone the property about eight miles west of Duluth came after a marathon meeting that lasted nearly six hours and ended just before midnight. More than 50 residents of Hermantown and nearby communities addressed the council, most pleading with council members to reject the zoning change, or at least table it.” (The rezoning was required for the project to move forward.)
• October 22, 2025: After contentious zoning approval, Hermantown now delays controversial data center’s permits
  Opponents (Stop the Hermantown Data Center)  “filed a request for additional environmental review of the proposal less than 24 hours after the Hermantown city council unanimously approved rezoning more than 200 acres for the project about eight miles west of Duluth.”