Water
O’Neill says “closed-loop, no Schuylkill, no on-site wells.” Then where does the water come from? How much? Who reviews the contamination history of the Alan Wood Steel brownfield?
Water details →
The Story, in Three Acts
How a closed steel mill became a fight for our community.
1
The mill closed. The developer moved fast.
In May 2025, Cleveland-Cliffs announced it would idle the Conshohocken steel plant. By September, developer Brian O’Neill’s “900 Conshohocken Road, LLC” had filed a zoning application to convert ten former mill buildings into a 2-million-square-foot data center.
The Plymouth Township Planning Agency voted 4-0 against recommending it. Hundreds of residents packed the November 17, 2025 hearing. The application collapsed when Cleveland-Cliffs’ counsel told the board the agreement of sale was unsigned and O’Neill had no standing.
2
Same plan. Second try. May 2026.
On May 1, 2026, Plymouth Township received an essentially identical application from the same developer for the same project. Two million square feet. Ten buildings. Outdoor stand-by generators. Natural-gas turbines located within and between the buildings.
The tenant is still undisclosed, described only as “life sciences-related.” The total power draw has not been published. The water plan, the air-emissions modeling, and the noise study are not in the public record.
3
This is winnable, and we’re ready.
In the last six months alone, communities in East Vincent, East Whiteland, North Coventry, Hampden, and Hazle Townships have stopped or shrunk data center projects. Prince William County, Virginia’s Digital Gateway was voided in court. Lowhill Township passed a model ordinance with closed-loop cooling and 500-foot setbacks.
Plymouth Township’s zoning code does not list data centers as a use. The applicant has the burden of proof. We have the residents, the lawyers, the regional environmental coalition, and the precedent. We just need you with us.