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Active / Approved

Cheswick Generating Station Data Center

Springdale Borough, Allegheny County

A 180 megawatt campus of roughly 765,000 square feet operating or being built at Springdale Borough, Allegheny County.

Active / ApprovedLargeBrownfieldSW
At a glance

The project by the numbers

StatusApproved
Capacity180 MW
Footprint765,000 sq ft
Site47.2 acres
First announced2025
Target online2028 (ops); permits Fall 2026; construction 2027

Approved and proceeding in Springdale Borough, Allegheny County

The number that mattersThe site runs to about 47 acres.
Current stage
The municipality has approved the project.
Decision body
Springdale Borough
Top issues
Residents and officials have focused on electricity demand and grid capacity, what remains in the ground from the site's industrial past, water use, continuous mechanical noise, and emissions from backup generation.

Allegheny DC Property Co. LLC (Davidson Kempner Capital Management; affiliate also backs PointOne, Echelon, Start Campus). Brian Regli consultant. Conditional use APPROVED 5-2 Dec 16 2025 despite no public testimony in support; council members publicly stated 'yes' votes were lawsuit-avoidance. Borough Mgr Terry Carcella read prepared statement. $14.3M land deal Nov 19 2025 from Cheswick Plant Environmental Redevelopment (Charah). 565,000 sq ft data hall + 200,000 sq ft utility; 7-story height. $2.5M+ annual property tax projected vs. current $66K total. Power studies w/ FirstEnergy + Duquesne Light. Tenant TBD. Carcella resigned March 2026.

Timeline

How it has unfolded

  • 2025-11-19Cheswick land sale closes
  • 2025-12-16Springdale Borough approves Cheswick conditional use 5-2
News

Coverage of this project

Know your rights

In Pennsylvania, a data center on industrial land usually needs a special exception or conditional use, decided by a local Zoning Hearing Board after a public, quasi-judicial hearing. Neighbors can request party status, cross-examine witnesses, and build an evidentiary record. Municipalities can also write data-center ordinances with enforceable standards.

Know your rights →

Take action

Organized community opposition is the single most effective check on these projects in Pennsylvania. Show up to hearings, submit comment when it is taken, support legal and expert-witness costs, and ask your municipality for a moratorium and a real ordinance.

How communities push back →