Public Accountability • Civic Literacy • Common-Sense Conversations
Vol. 1, SPECIAL EDITION Issue | December 18, 2025, a Six-minute read (1381 words)
What’s Ahead: The Ultimate Issue of the Year – To Data Center or Not, that is the Question.
Why This Special Edition
Janesville WI — Hypothetically Speaking is issuing this special edition on the proposed data center because too much of the public conversation has drifted away from verifiable fact and into a fog of misinformation, conjecture, half-answers, and urban legend—much of it unintentionally nurtured by City Hall’s own inconsistent or incomplete communications. The result has not been healthy skepticism, but mistrust: a growing sense among residents that they are being asked to accept assurances rather than evidence on one of the most consequential land-use, infrastructure, and fiscal decisions the community has faced in a generation. When the stakes are this high, confusion is not a neutral outcome; it is corrosive to civic trust and damaging to the community fabric.
This issue is published in the spirit of a good-faith opportunity to clear the air and get it right. It is, after all, the season of love, reconciliation, and fresh starts—a time when families set aside old grievances, let bygones be bygones, and resolve to move forward honestly together. The basic questions that follow, if answered forthrightly, transparently, and to the fullest extent humanly possible—answers that can withstand a “look me in the eye and tell me the truth” test—have the potential to move this debate off its current collision course and back onto a path that is constructive, informed, and worthy of this community.
The Questions are not an indictment. They are an invitation to restore clarity, credibility, and confidence before the window to do so closes. — RH Gruber and Editorial Board
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Eight Key Considerations / Questions
- The Real Story on Taxes, Tax Increment Districts, and Exemptions
Key questions:
What is the projected breakdown between taxable real estate improvements and tax-exempt personal property such as servers, and how are those values calculated? What are the implications of including or excluding the project from the existing Tax Increment District (TID)?
Data Centers are exempt from Sales Tax in Wisconsin. What is the unrealized tax revenues the County and the State will waive?
If included in a TID, what happens to the general property tax base—particularly if taxable value is included in rate calculations but revenues remain within the TID?
What is the impact on the general electrical rate base if the project’s massive power needs are not legally separated, ensuring the project absorbs the full costs of generation, transmission, and usage?
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- Impact on Housing, Infrastructure, Neighborhoods, and Property Values
Large-scale industrial development can significantly affect housing markets, property values, neighborhood character, and overall quality of life. Residents near the former GM site have already raised concerns about disruption and long-term livability.
Key questions:
Will nearby property values increase or decline? Will traffic, noise, and lighting make surrounding neighborhoods less desirable? Can existing city services—roads, sewage, police, fire, and public works—manage the increased demand?
- Environmental Remediation and Safety of the Brownfield Site
The proposed site is a brownfield, contaminated due to prior industrial use.
Key questions:
What is the precise nature and extent of the existing contamination? What remediation plan will the developer commit to? Will cleanup fully meet Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) standards? If additional or more severe contamination is discovered during testing, can the developer walk away from the project?
Risk if unresolved:
Incomplete or failed remediation could leave lingering soil or groundwater pollution, creating long-term environmental and public health risks.
- Local Economic Benefits — Jobs, Tax Revenue, and Long-Term Prosperity
According to the city’s summary, the project could generate significant economic activity, including approximately 13,200 construction jobs, $870 million in construction-phase wages and benefits, and—once operational—about 600 permanent jobs with an estimated $130 million per year in ongoing economic impact.
Key questions:
How many of these jobs will go to local residents? Are the permanent positions well-paying, stable, and sufficient to offset potential environmental and infrastructure costs? The city has referenced “first-source” hiring and coordination with local training providers—how will that be enforced?
Also:
What is the impact on the local tax base? Will increased tax revenue broadly benefit the community—roads, schools, and public services—or primarily benefit city government or the developer?
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- Water Usage — Demand, Sustainability, and Local Impact
The developer estimates water use at approximately 70,400 gallons per day for a campus of 11 buildings.
Key questions:
What is the source of this water, and how sustainable is that supply? Will this level of demand stress local water resources, particularly during dry periods, or negatively affect aquifers? What happens to the water after cooling—will it be returned, evaporated, or discharged?
Additional concern:
Could increase demand affect residential water availability or drive-up water rates for Janesville residents?
- Environmental and Public Health Impacts
(Noise, Pollution, Light, Traffic, and Related Concerns)
Data centers can generate significant noise from cooling systems and backup generators, light pollution from extensive exterior lighting, and increased heavy-truck traffic—particularly during construction.
Key questions:
What mitigation measures will be implemented to address noise, lighting, traffic, and air quality? How will the project affect nearby neighborhoods, especially those closest to the former GM site? Are there long-term environmental or public health risks?
Related issues:
How will stormwater, runoff, and waste be managed after construction? Could the extensive use of impervious surfaces increase flooding risks or harm local waterways?
- Energy Consumption and Power Grid Impact
The proposal includes delivery of up to 800 megawatts of power to the site, as requested by the developer.
Key questions:
Can the local power grid support this demand without straining service to residents and existing businesses? Will electricity rates increase community-wide? Will the construction of new power infrastructure result in costs being passed on to taxpayers or current utility customers?
Also:
What is the source of this energy? Will it rely on fossil fuels or renewable sources? If non-renewables are used, what are the emissions and environmental implications?
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- Long-Term Risks Versus Short-Term Gains
(Sustainability and Futureproofing)
Data center demand and technology evolve rapidly. A project that appears viable today may look vastly different in 10 to 20 years.
Key questions:
Is the project designed to adapt to future technological changes, such as more efficient cooling or reduced water and energy use? What happens if global demand for data centers declines or new technologies dramatically reduce resource needs? Could this site become a stranded asset, or can it be repurposed if industry conditions change?
Also:
How might future state or federal environmental regulations—related to emissions or water usage—affect the project’s long-term viability?
What Should Be Resolved Before Any Vote or Final Approval
Before a community-wide referendum or City Council decision, the following information should be resolved and made public:
- A comprehensive environmental impact assessment, including a detailed remediation plan; groundwater and soil testing; water use and disposal plans; stormwater and runoff mitigation; emissions; air quality; noise; and lighting analysis.
- A binding development agreement with enforceable commitments covering resource usage limits, environmental safeguards, infrastructure upgrades, community protections (such as setbacks and buffer zones), and ongoing monitoring.
- A clear and transparent breakdown of economic benefits, including job numbers, wage levels, local hiring requirements, and distinctions between temporary construction work and permanent employment.
- Full transparency regarding end users or tenant companies to clarify long-term accountability, risk, and responsibility.
- An analysis of reasonable alternative uses for the site, comparing environmental, social, and economic costs and benefits.
A final note. Hypothetically Speaking has never editorially endorsed any specific project or event. However, if the questions outlined above are addressed fully, transparently, and in a forthright manner by City Hall, it would go a long way toward resolving the lingering doubts that continue to surround this project. More importantly, such clarity would allow this chapter of the discussion to be responsibly closed. Hypothetically Speaking would be exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to turn its attention to other pressing policy matters facing the community—confident that the public record on this issue has been completed with the seriousness it deserves.
For some of our devoted readers, getting Hypothetically Speaking off this topic and back to other pressing issues may be for them at least, a significant Holiday Treat. Special thanks to TL for your insights!
☕ Community Spotlight: Havana Coffee
If you are looking for a place to reflect on your civic journey—or just fuel up before a council meeting—stop by Havana Coffee at 1250 Milton Avenue. It is a true Janesville gem, where espresso meets engagement.
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With hearty food, warm service, and a strong commitment to local journalism, Havana Coffee proudly supports the Rock County Civics Academy and all who believe in informed participation.
We are grateful to Daniela and her team for creating a space where ideas percolate and conversations matter.
⚖️ Welcome Nowlan Law Firm and Attorney Tim Lindau
We also extend our thanks to Attorney Tim Lindau and the Nowlan Law Firm for their support of civic education and democratic renewal. Tim’s encouragement—and his belief in the power of our mission.
Together, with partners like Havana and Nowlan, we are building a culture of engagement that honors both tradition and transformation.
HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING: Where ideas meet action—and citizens shape the future.
What if transparency was the norm, not the exception?
What if civic engagement became Rock County’s defining strength?
Every movement begins when someone decides “now is the time.”
That someone could be you.
🪩 A CALL TO LEADERSHIP
Leadership isn’t about ego—it’s about service.
It’s showing up, listening deeply, and acting with purpose.
Three ways to begin:
• Volunteer with a civic group
• Serve on a local board or commission
• Run for public office and lead the change.
“If not you, who? If not now, when?” — Hillel the Elder
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FINAL THOUGHT
Democracy is a skill—one that strengthens with practice.
Stay curious. Stay engaged. Stay connected.
Because the next chapter of Rock County’s story is being written—right now.
©2025 Rock County Civics Academy
Produced in partnership with the Rock County Civics Academy to promote open dialogue, ethical leadership, and civic participation across Wisconsin’s heartland. Illustrations by B. S. MacInkwell. Published by CSI of Wisconsin, Inc. P. O. Box 8082, Janesville WI 53547-8082
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