Hermantown data center vote: Council moves project forward

HERMANTOWN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Hermantown city leaders moved a controversial data center proposal ahead after months of debate and loud public opposition.

Hermantown City Council moves data center ahead

What we know:

The Hermantown City Council voted at a special meeting Friday to move forward with the proposed data center project after about four hours of public comment. The project has been a source of tension in the community for months.

Hundreds of people gathered outside city hall, but only 85 people were allowed into the chambers for the meeting. Most of the people who spoke at the podium objected to the data center proposal and criticized how the council has handled it.

Three people were peaceably removed from the meeting after they refused to stop speaking when their three-minute comment time ended.

The backstory:

On Monday, the council was poised to approve a Google data center in Hermantown until protesters disrupted the meeting enough that city officials chose to delay it. At the special meeting, the council took up the proposal again and voted to move it forward.

Protesters opposed to the proposed data center gathered outside council chambers on Monday and continuously chanted, "Shut it down!" The opposition focused on the project itself and on the way the council has handled it.

Opponents want more details about Google's plans for the Hermantown data center. Supporters say the proposed project will bring economic growth to the community.

The Source: Hermantown City Council meeting.