Port Washington Annexes Land for Data Center
1,900 acres rezoned as Technology Campus, hoping to attract Google or Meta.
Port Washington alder Dan Benning, city attorney Matt Nugent, mayor Ted Neitzke IV and city administrator Melissa Gossett during the Port Washington Common Council’s May 20, 2025 meeting. Nick Rommel/WPR
Port Washington is one step closer to bringing a 1,900-acre data center campus to the city.
On Tuesday, the city’s common council voted to annex about one-third of that land, and zoned it as a “Technology Campus District.”
“Tonight was phase one of multiple stages of annexation,” Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke IV said. “There’ll be a second, and potentially third, annexation request.”
Cloverleaf Infrastructure, a data center site preparation firm, already has “all the land that’s needed for the data center under contract,” its CEO David Berry said, barring some “little things here and there.”
Under Cloverleaf’s business model, the data center would eventually be operated by a major tech company, like Google or Meta.
The data center would almost double the city’s tax base, Neitzke previously told WPR, arguing it would reduce the city’s reliance on residential property taxes.
The data center could use between 1 and 3.5 gigawatts of power, according to statements by Cloverleaf. One gigawatt is enough to power about 800,000 households — almost a third of Wisconsin‘s total households.
The 1,900 acres slated for a data center campus north of Port Washington. The city’s council annexed and zoned land south of Lake Drive Tuesday. Photo courtesy of the public domain
2 residents testify at public hearing, council votes unanimously
At public hearings earlier this year, residents came in scores to voice concerns about the data center. A petition against the development has over 800 signatures. But on Tuesday, only two residents came to comment on the development.
Caleb Tydrick, who lives near the proposed data center, said the council has had “very few serious answers for questions from constituents.”
Tydrick also urged the council to get assurances the data center’s technology is “not resulting in death and destruction,” citing use of AI by defense firms like Palantir and Anduril.
He also urged the data center to be powered by small nuclear reactors.
“I am concerned not enough time and consideration for how it will affect surrounding residents and the environment has been taken,” said Ben Donajkowski, who lives inside the 1,900-acre project area.
Donajkowski also wondered if the city will bother enforcing noise limits on the data center if it primarily affects township residents living around the development, outside city limits.
“I’m certain this project is already rubber-stamped and rolling through full steam no matter what anyone says at this podium,” he told the council. “More and more people will be watching, and asking questions, once the company breaks ground and the scale of this project becomes reality.”
At that point, the council hadn’t voted yet. But they soon passed each data center-related measure unanimously.
Port Washington annexes, zones land for data center was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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