Contested

Limerick "Project Laurel" / MCD 7 LLC

Limerick Township, Montgomery County

Project Laurel would put eight 85-foot data buildings on 192 acres across from the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, drawing roughly 750 megawatts and at least 750,000 gallons of water a day, for an end user nobody has been allowed to name.

ContestedGreenfieldSE

At a glance

The project by the numbers

StatusUnder Review

Capacity750 MW

Footprint2,800,000 sq ft

Site192 acres

First announced2025

Target onlineTBD

A 750 megawatt campus on swapped game lands, behind a nondisclosure agreement

The number that mattersAt the fourth conditional use session the applicant disclosed two additional applications filed just before Limerick tightened its data center regulations, and declined to name the end users evaluating the site. Supervisor Patrick Morroney had asked for the names so officials could check whether the companies had been good neighbors elsewhere.

Developer: MCD 7 LLC (rendered MDC 7 LLC in some records), represented by attorney Ed Campbell, with Limerick Town Center LLC holding adjacent land
Tenant: Undisclosed and shielded by nondisclosure agreements. State Rep. Joe Ciresi has pursued legislation targeting the practice.
Current stage: Conditional use hearings before the Board of Supervisors, continued to August 18, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Limerick Township Municipal Building under increased security. The Planning Commission has recommended denial unless 18 conditions are met, and the applicant has filed two supplemental applications just ahead of stricter township rules.
Decision body: Limerick Township Board of Supervisors (conditional use), with land development review to follow any approval
Top issues: 750 MW of PECO capacity; at least 750,000 gallons of water a day in a township with private wells; 30 to 45 chillers and a similar number of generators per building; 85-foot building height; the Game Lands 234 swap; nondisclosure agreements hiding the end user; an ordinance that addresses noise but not vibration, air or water pollution
Key opponents: Prevent Limerick Data Center Development and a bipartisan coalition of residents; State Rep. Joe Ciresi; State Sen. Katie Muth; neighbors of State Game Lands 234
Key supporters: Developer tax projections of roughly $40 million a year across the township, Montgomery County and the Spring-Ford Area School District

Supervisors voted 3-0 on March 5, 2026 to rewrite the data center ordinance. The Planning Commission held a hearing running more than three hours in April, moved to a high school auditorium for crowd size, and recommended denial unless 18 conditions are met. Residents were denied entry to a capacity hearing in May. The Game Commission approved the land swap in June. Conditional use hearings continue monthly through August 2026.

What is at stake

Documented community impacts

Water

High

At least 750,000 gallons/day; planning commission pushing closed-loop cooling as a condition to force disclosure of cooling architecture.

PoweredByWho

Energy costs and the grid

High

PECO has reportedly committed roughly 750 megawatts to the campus, the power needed to run about half a million households, in the same PJM zone where capacity costs are already passing through to residential bills.

Data Center Dynamics

Water

High

The campus would consume at least 750,000 gallons of water per day, more than fills an Olympic swimming pool, in a township where many households are on private wells.

PoweredByWho

Noise and vibration

High

Industry reporting describes 30 to 45 rooftop chillers and a similar number of backup generators per data building across eight buildings. Limerick’s existing data center rules address noise but not vibration, which is why supervisors ordered the ordinance rewritten.

Hoodline / Pottstown Mercury

Air quality

High

Backup generation at this scale, roughly 30 to 45 units per building across eight buildings, drove supervisors to seek air pollution protections that the existing ordinance does not contain.

PoweredByWho

Visual and light

High

Eight two-story buildings standing 85 feet tall on 192 acres directly across from the Philadelphia Premium Outlets would reshape the skyline of a suburban township.

Data Center Dynamics

Environmental justice and site legacy

High

The Pennsylvania Game Commission deeded 55 acres of State Game Lands 234 and a 200-foot right of way to a developer entity in a swap residents say nobody voted on, converting public hunting land adjacent to the project site.

Patch

Public safety

Medium

Residents were denied entry to a conditional use hearing that had reached capacity, raising questions about meaningful public participation in a quasi-judicial proceeding.

WFMZ

Property values

Medium

Residents living within about two miles describe the pace as very fast and question well water, electric bills and long-term livability.

WFMZ

Jobs and tax claims

Low

Records reviewed by planners reference a community-benefit protection intended to preserve roughly $40 million a year in tax revenue for the township, Montgomery County and the Spring-Ford Area School District; permanent staffing for hyperscale campuses is typically small relative to footprint.

Hoodline / Pottstown Mercury

Community response

Who is organizing against it

Prevent Limerick Data Center Development

Township · Founded 2026

Leaders: Meagan Smolsky and resident organizers; supported by State Rep. Joe Ciresi and State Sen. Katie Muth

Tactics: Monthly turnout at conditional use hearings, coordinated protests in red outside the township administration building, public comment on water, noise and vibration, pressure for a rewritten data center ordinance

A bipartisan coalition of residents that has packed hearings to overflow, forcing meetings into a high school auditorium and, in May 2026, being denied entry when a hearing reached capacity. Works alongside State Rep. Joe Ciresi, who has pursued legislation targeting the nondisclosure agreements shielding projects like this one, and State Sen. Katie Muth.

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Timeline

How it has unfolded

2026-03-05Supervisors direct solicitor 3-0 to draft tighter data-center ordinance (water/air/vibration) PoweredByWho
2026-03-05Supervisors vote 3-0 to direct the township solicitor to draft amendments to the data center zoning ordinance, whose existing rules address only noise, to add protections for water pollution, air pollution and vibration monitoring PoweredByWho
2026-04-01Planning Commission holds a public hearing running more than three hours on the Project Laurel conditional use application; hundreds of residents attend, forcing the meeting into a local high school auditorium PoweredByWho
2026-04-12Planners recommend the project be denied unless 18 conditions are met, covering noise, water and power safeguards, a template other Pennsylvania townships can reach for: approval made contingent on terms a developer may not accept Hoodline / Pottstown Mercury
2026-04-24A group fundraiser is canceled by MaGerk’s Pub after complaints from data center supporters raise security concerns, and threats prompt hearings to move to a smaller venue; the group says it has no connection to the threats Patch
2026-05-12Residents are denied entry to a conditional use hearing at capacity and protest outside the township administration building; the township schedules data center hearings monthly through August WFMZ
2026-06-01Game Commission approves a land swap deeding 55 acres of State Game Lands 234 plus a 200-foot right of way to Limerick Town Center LLC, adjacent to the former Publicker distillery site the developer already owns; the Commission receives 176 acres in Edgemont Township, Delaware County and 377.2 acres in Bern Township, Berks County Patch
2026-06-18Data Center Dynamics reports the campus at 1.4 million sq ft of building footprint on 192 acres with 750 MW secured from PECO and a full build-out of up to five years Data Center Dynamics
2026-07-21Residents organize a protest in red before the latest conditional use hearing, part of a bipartisan coalition opposing the campus Patch
2026-07-21Fourth conditional use session runs four hours. Attorney Ed Campbell discloses that MCD7 has filed two additional conditional use applications on the same property, submitted just before the township imposed stricter data center regulations. Campbell says multiple potential end users are evaluating the site and the applicant expects to partner with one after securing approval, but is not at liberty to name them. Supervisor Patrick Morroney asks for the identities so officials can check whether the companies have been good neighbors elsewhere. Continued to August 18 at 6:30 p.m. Spring-Ford Press
2026-07-21Fourth conditional-use session runs four hours, operators undisclosed, hearing continued to August 18 Spring-Ford Press
2026-08-01Township imposes more stringent data center regulations; MCD7’s two supplemental applications were filed just before they took effect Spring-Ford Press
2026-08-01All data center conditional use hearings and Board of Supervisors public meetings moved to the Limerick Township Municipal Building, with increased security measures Limerick Township

Legal record

Filings and legal actions

2026-02
Conditional use application Limerick Township Board of Supervisors · n/a
Conditional use application for eight data buildings totaling roughly 1.4 million sq ft of footprint on 192 acres. The Planning Commission recommended denial unless 18 conditions are met; the elected Board of Supervisors holds the quasi-judicial hearing and makes the formal decision, with a separate land development review to follow any approval.
MCD 7 LLC (attorney Ed Campbell) · Under review
2026-03-05
Ordinance amendment Limerick Township Board of Supervisors · n/a
Supervisors directed the solicitor to draft amendments to the data center overlay, whose existing standards address noise, woodland and water service but not water pollution, air pollution or vibration monitoring.
Township solicitor · In drafting
2026-06-01
Land swap approval Pennsylvania Game Commission · n/a
55 acres of State Game Lands 234 plus a 200-foot right of way conveyed to Limerick Town Center LLC adjacent to the project area, in exchange for 176 acres in Edgemont Township and 377.2 acres in Bern Township.
Limerick Town Center LLC and the Commonwealth · Approved
2026-07
Conditional use applications (supplemental) Limerick Township Board of Supervisors · CU 26-03 / CU 26-05
Two additional conditional use applications on the same property, filed just before Limerick imposed stricter data center regulations, contemplating alternative phasing of the campus. The primary application covers eight two-story buildings totaling just under 2.8 million square feet, three substations of just under half a million square feet, and 80,000 sq ft of support buildings on 191 acres, and proposes to vacate and relocate portions of Sanatoga Road, Possum Hollow Road and a gas transmission line.
MCD 7 LLC / Limerick Town Center LLC (attorney Ed Campbell) · Filed

News

Coverage of this project

2026-08-01 Limerick TownshipConditional Use Hearings (CU 26-03, CU 26-05)Official filings: eight buildings just under 2.8M sq ft, three substations, 191 acres, road and gas line relocations
2026-07-22 Spring-Ford PressLatest Limerick data center hearing leaves key questions unansweredTwo more applications filed ahead of stricter rules; end users undisclosed; continued to August 18
2026-07-20 PatchProtest planned ahead of Tuesday AI data center hearing in LimerickResidents asked to wear red; 750 MW equals about half a million households
2026-06-18 Data Center Dynamics1.4 million sq ft data center campus planned outside Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBuilding program, acreage and the 750 MW PECO commitment
2026-06-01 PatchAmid uproar from Limerick area residents, state approves data center area land swapGame Lands 234 swap; local leaders warn of "Data Center Alley 2.0"
2026-05-12 WFMZ'Should I be concerned?': Residents denied entry to hearing as Limerick data center fight intensifiesCapacity lockout, well-water and electric-bill questions from residents
2026-05-01 PoweredByWhoProject Laurel: 750 MW secret data center on PA Game LandsNDAs, the land swap nobody voted on, and the conditional-recommendation playbook
2026-04-24 PatchNew threats made to Limerick data center projects, hearings moved to smaller venueCanceled fundraiser, security concerns, and venue changes
2026-04-22 PoweredByWhoProject Laurel: 750 MW data center on PA Game Lands (Limerick)Game-lands swap / NDAs / PC denial-unless-conditions
2026-04-12 Hoodline / Pottstown MercuryLimerick planners hit mega data center plan with 18 demandsThe 18 conditions and the roughly $40M annual tax claim
2026-01-13 WFMZ-TVMassive new AI data center proposed for Limerick Twp.750 MW / 750k gpd

Sources

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 →