A standing-room-only crowd of nearly 300 people packed The Mill community center in Granite City last week to get information on a controversial proposal to allow a tech company to build a data center.
Opinions were plentiful and divided. Trade union leaders spoke in favor of the facility, touting it as a job creator and economic development tool. Other residents expressed concerns about utility costs, environmental impacts and transparency.
Several speakers questioned whether the project was a “done deal,” noting that city officials appeared to have been laying groundwork without public input. One suggested placing a referendum on the ballot…