HOBART, Ind. (WBBM Newsradio) – A group of Hobart residents has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the city from moving forward with a permit tied to a proposed Amazon data center, arguing officials failed to follow state law before approving the project.
The lawsuit was filed after Hobart’s plan commission approved a fill permit last week that would allow Amazon to begin digging and testing soil on hundreds of acres. The approval followed a contentious meeting that drew public criticism over transparency, public input and the scale of the development.
Angelita Soriano, who leads the group “No Data Centers Hobart Indiana,” argues the city council bypassed required steps before approving the plan, including holding a public informational meeting to gather feedback from residents. Her group is now asking a judge to issue a temporary injunction blocking the fill permit.
City officials say the data center could bring significant economic benefits. Amazon has told the city the project could create more than 400 permanent full-time jobs, with average hourly wages ranging from $37 to $44. Mayor Josh Huddlestun has said the site could include up to 25 buildings, though the exact number and layout have not been finalized.
Critics say the lack of a detailed site plan has made it difficult for residents to understand the project’s potential impact, including how large the development would be and what the buildings would look like. Some residents also questioned the speed of the approval process during public comment at the plan commission meeting.
Hobart has received $47 million from Amazon in connection with the proposed development, according to city officials.
The dispute over whether Hobart can proceed with the fill permit is scheduled to go before a Lake County Court judge Wednesday morning in Crown Point. The judge will decide whether to temporarily halt the permit while the lawsuit moves forward.