Plans to develop a data center at the site of a former power station in Springdale, Pennsylvania, have encountered delays as local officials seek additional time for studies and public input. The project represents one of several data center developments being proposed across Pennsylvania as the state experiences significant growth in the sector.

Springdale Project Meets Regulatory Delays

The Springdale planning commission has postponed making a recommendation about the proposed data center project to the city council, citing the need for more time to conduct studies and gather resident comments. Allegheny DC Property Co. is planning to develop a 565,000 square foot (52,490 square meter) 180MW data center and a 200,000 square foot (18,580 square meter) building for cooling and facility management on the 47-acre site of the former Cheswick power plant in Allegheny County.

A public meeting about the project drew numerous residents who spoke out against the proposals. Opposition to the project has grown, with a Change.org petition against the development securing more than 300 signatures at the time of writing. The Springdale planning commission is scheduled to meet on October 27, where it could make a recommendation to the city council to either approve or reject the proposals.

Investment Backing and Corporate Connections

Allegheny DC is reportedly an affiliate of US investment firm Davidson Kempner. The investment firm has backed various data center projects internationally, including Start Campus' development in Sines, Portugal, and Irish developer Echelon in Europe. Davidson Kempner has also invested in US operator PointOne Data Centers, which is developing several sites in Virginia. In nearby Stowe Township, also located in Allegheny County, another data center development is under consideration.

Stowe Township commissioner Cheryl McDermott recently confirmed that SunCap Industries, which is developing the former Pressed Steel Car Company McKees Rocks Works Plant, wants to build a data center. Specific details about the scope of the planned data center were not disclosed. The township board is scheduled to meet in November, where they could discuss the project further.

Nichol Avenue McKees Rocks LLC was granted USD 6 million earlier this year to assist with the phase two development of a distribution and logistics park on a 72-acre brownfield works plant, as part of the Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites (PA SITES) initiative.

Statewide Market Growth and Major Acquisitions

Pennsylvania has experienced dramatic growth in its data center market, with a report published by DC Byte in September indicating that the Keystone State's data center market has grown from 231MW of total IT load in 2021 to around 7.8GW in 2025. This exponential growth comes as companies seek to secure capacity for AI build-outs, with developments being proposed across the state beyond the traditional hubs of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Amazon Data Services acquired a 350-acre parcel of land in Pennsylvania's Kline Township, Schuylkill County, for USD 178 million earlier this year. The area, known as Devil's Mountain, was previously designated to house a 3.75 million square foot (348,300 square meter) warehouse development for Brewster Land Co. Amazon is reportedly evaluating plans for the site and will present its plans at a later date. Earlier this year, Amazon announced plans to invest USD 20 billion in data center infrastructure in Pennsylvania.

Additional Projects Across Multiple Counties

In Pennsylvania's Carbon County, NorthPoint is planning to develop 1,400 acres in Packer and Banks townships for a data center. Full details of the planned project have not been shared publicly. Opposition to these proposals has emerged, with two separate Change.org petitions launched against the developments, securing around 900 signatures in total.

Opposition groups Save Carbon County and the Greenfire Coalition have spoken out against the development. Another proposed data center project in Carbon County's Penn Forest Township aims to develop 750 acres between Route 902 and Maury Road, though full details about the project's plans have not been shared. Save Carbon County is also opposing this project.

In West Hazleton, land behind Valmont Shopping Plaza is being marketed as a potential data center site. The site in Luzerne County, owned by One Trinity Real Estate Investments, is zoned for light industry and previously received approval to construct a 600,000 square foot (55,741 square meter) warehouse building. However, the company was denied a rezoning request for a data center on the site because local zoning codes do not permit data centers as a specified use.

NorthPoint is also planning a large-scale data center campus in Luzerne County that could total 15 buildings across more than 1,200 acres in Hazle Township's Humboldt North Industrial Park. The property in Stowe Township was owned by McKees Rocks Industrial Enterprise and sold to SunCap Industries in 2023. Founded in 2009, SunCap Property Group is a commercial real estate development and investment firm that specializes in developing single-tenant build-to-suit facilities, industrial warehouse and distribution facilities, and multifamily communities.

Connect with Decision-makers about the Latest Data Center Facility Projects in United States for business Opportunities.

Subscribe to our database on Data Center Facility Projects and Tenders in US to get access to reliable and high-quality insights on upcoming, under-construction, and completed Data Center Facility Projects across the world or in your desired geographical location.

Our user-friendly platform provides essential details, timely updates, key stakeholder contact information, and business opportunities tailored for engineering companies, industry professionals, investors, and government agencies.