Janesville, Wisconsin’s fight over a proposed >$450 million data center on the old GM site is now as much about process as it is about the project itself.
A petition with 4,674 certified signatures is pushing for a local ordinance that would force any development on the GM/JATCO site over $450 million to go to a public referendum.
City council delayed action to Feb. 9, which likely blocks a spring ballot vote and has opponents arguing leaders are running out the clock.
For AI infrastructure builders, this is a signal that large-scale data center projects can get tripped up by local governance, especially when cost crosses a political visibility threshold.
Council members worry the ordinance could chill broader development, highlighting how community pushback can conflict with regional economic and digital infrastructure goals.
City staff are still negotiating a purchase agreement with Viridian Partners, but the political friction adds execution risk for any hyperscale or GPU-heavy buildout on the site.
This is a useful case study in how community consent, timing, and legal process can be as critical as power and land when planning AI data centers.
Source: Janesville leaders delay decision on data center petition
