Yorkville Data Center Developer Seeks 18-Month Extension

Developers of the Project Cardinal data center in Yorkville are requesting an extension so they can acquire all the parcels of the land slated for the project.

Matt McCarron and Pioneer Development requested to move the July 1 deadline to December 31, 2027. If Columbus, Ohio-based Pioneer cannot meet the extension deadline, the annexation agreement that made the project feasible will be “null and void,” according to Shaw Local. The developers have not elaborated on which parcels of land they’re running into trouble acquiring, and cited “unforeseen circumstances” that are giving them grief.

The totality of Project Cardinal is set to span 14 warehouses on over 1,000 acres in Yorkville, as well as land to be annexed by the city at a future date. The annexation, specifically, would span seven parcels of farmland, 305 of the 1,000-plus acres. The areas include space northwest of Illinois Route 47 and Galena Road, south of Baseline Road and east of Ashe Road, according to the outlet.

The development agreement was highlighted by a $51 million offer to be paid to the developer by the city over the course of four years, contingent on Pioneer closing on all the parcels. That number was bundled with a $40 million agreement for Project Steel, a data center set on 540 acres.

A common theme in data center development agreements in recent years is that local governments ultimately approve the development despite fierce local opposition. The trend has remained intact in Yorkville. The city, and the developers, were sued by residents through a community based organization called Preserve Our Yorkville & Community LLC.

They argue that the city failed to properly notify residents of the massive data center moving in next door, and that sound, traffic, environmental issues and property values were taken into account poorly. Yorkville is already close to other data centers, they say, and the long construction timeline will adversely affect the village.

Yorkville was entertaining around a dozen data center proposals across 3,000 acres simultaneously, according to the outlet. Three have been approved: Project Cardinal, Project Steel and the 228-acre Cyrus One development.

— Hunter Cooke