‘Wrong project, wrong place’: Critics push back on rezoning plan for potential Hoffman Estates data center

Posted June 16, 2026 1:16 pm

Eric Peterson

Hoffman Estates village board members Monday heard from critics of the proposed rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property for a possible data center campus.

Although the issue wasn’t on the agenda, the board allowed half an hour for public comment.

Earlier this month, the village’s plan commission voted 4-2 against landowner Karis Critical of Florida's request to rezone the site at Higgins Road and Route 59 to permit manufacturing. This classification could allow for a data center.

In January, Karis Critical’s proposal for a data center in Naperville was rejected by the city council there.

Monday’s opponents to the Hoffman Estates rezoning request included state representatives and candidates as well as the village presidents of neighboring South Barrington and Barrington Hills.

Critics from Hoffman Estates, South Barrington and Barrington Hills Monday voiced their opposition to rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property at the northwest corner of routes 59 and 72 in Hoffman Estates that could allow a data campus there. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com, 2019

“Barrington Hills respects Hoffman Estates’ authority to make land-use decisions within its jurisdiction,” Village President Brian Cecola said. “However, we share the concerns raised by South Barrington, surrounding residents, local businesses and community stakeholders.”

Cecola said an environmental impact report should happen before rezoning is allowed.

Barrington Township Assessor Mike Gentile told officials he understood the desire to ease homeowners’ property taxes through commercial development, but said a data center on Plum Farms wasn’t the solution.

“Development must be responsible,” he said. “It must fit in the location. This project is the wrong project in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills spoke to infrastructure pressures like increased water and electricity demand, pointing out that even Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker had recently paused the state’s economic incentive for data centers.

“If you’ve opened up an electrical bill lately, you know increased electricity demand is one of the problems with AI centers,” McLaughlin said. “Unfortunately, this has not been planned for well by Springfield politicians. And now, with potential AI center draw, it’s a double-whammy for utility payers and I cannot support this.”

Maria Peterson of North Barrington, McLaughlin’s Democratic challenger in the November election for the 52nd district that includes Plum Farms, also addressed the matter.

“I want to be clear that I am not anti-technology,” she said. “Data centers are a necessity as artificial intelligence becomes part of daily life. However, that doesn’t mean that they get placed anywhere at any time. This site is directly adjacent to residential homes.”

Hoffman Estates’ village board is slated to hear the matter Monday, July 6.