NPR reported that a hyper‑scale data center under construction in Port Washington, Wisconsin, has ignited a local showdown—angry protests, multiple lawsuits, and opponents arrested for civil disobedience—over how much change one project should bring. In NPR’s account, the complex runs along roughly two miles of highway and covers about 2.5 million square feet of former farmland, described on air as “as big as 500 football fields.”
“This was my last move”—then the cranes arrived
Resident Amanda Mueller, 67, told NPR she moved to Port Washington five years ago and bought a four‑bedroom ranch with three acres near an undeveloped Lake Michigan beach. The data center is being built about a half mile from her home. Mueller said she listed the house and received one offer that later fell apart, which she believes was because of the project. She has since joined legal efforts and called for moratoriums, environmental reviews, more voter input, and a buffer so “within at least a mile of a data center, you should not have residents living anywhere near it.”
The mayor’s bet: jobs, tax base, and a long runway
Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke is the project’s most vocal backer in NPR’s piece. NPR noted the part‑time job pays $7,500 a year and that Neitzke helped approve what the outlet called a $15 billion data center project. He told NPR he envisions thousands of local jobs, beautification and infrastructure upgrades, and major new tax revenue. After visiting data‑center‑heavy Loudoun County, Virginia, he said he “could not understand—what are people so mad about? … They’re just large boxes filled with computers.”
Driving near the construction site, Neitzke said the scale gives him “pride and angst,” adding that it “locks in the future for our kids, for jobs, at least for the next 50 to 75 years,” and that he believes “our city’s finances will be set as a result of it.”
Inside the build: dirt, steel, and windowless halls
NPR toured the site with company representatives from Vantage Data Centers. Construction lead Victoria Tyson‑Bloyd told NPR that “Building 12 is 540,000 square feet, and Building 11 is 725,000 square feet,” describing the windowless facilities and the supporting infrastructure for cooling, heating, electricity, and fiber connections.
A local fight with national echoes
NPR framed the conflict as part of a broader backlash as AI companies race to add computing capacity. On air, host Sacha Pfeiffer asked Neitzke why “polls show that two‑thirds of Americans oppose data centers.” Neitzke replied, “’Cause nobody knows what they do… that little mystery created a huge gap in knowledge,” which he called a “huge problem.” He also told NPR he cannot control how AI will be used but believes he can manage the local impacts and finances tied to this project.
NPR’s story depicts a city weighing fast‑moving construction and fiscal hopes against residents’ fears about what arrives with it—and how close it should be to their homes.
