PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Developers hoping to build a data center at an out-of-use steel mill in Plymouth Township have withdrawn their zoning application due to a legal snafu. However, the error has only temporarily delayed their plan.
More than 100 people showed up to the Plymouth Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting Monday night, expecting an opportunity for public comment. The board was considering an application to turn the former steel mill at 900 Conshohocken Road into a data center.
Instead, attendees watched as counsel for 900 Conshohocken LLC, tied to developer Brian O’Neill, withdrew the application. Board Solicitor David Sander said the sale agreement had not been finalized.
“It was revealed by counsel to one of the parties that the applicant did not have legal standing to proceed with the application this evening. That was not anticipated,” he said.
Counsel for the building owner, Cleveland-Cliffs Plate Inc., and the applicant both declined to comment. Sander expects the developers to resubmit an application, which would be considered no earlier than January.
Demand for data centers has increased because of the artificial intelligence boom. AI companies need a place to house their abundance of computer servers.
Marjorie Connolly, with the group Tech Oversight Project, argued that data centers increase energy bills for nearby residents and provide few permanent jobs. She said when counsel pushed for a continuance — before withdrawing the application — they were wasting residents’ time.
“I think that this has been a very dramatic example of the fact that community input does not mean anything to these companies,” she said.
Patti Smith lives down the street from the site and has teamed up with other neighbors to fight against the development. Although the process has been delayed, she said it only means they have to continue to monitor the proceedings.
“We went into this knowing that it was going to be a marathon, not a sprint. So I kind of had the feeling that this might not be the end, as much as I would love it to be the end,” she said.