Urbana City Council is weighing a pending settlement with developer Thor Equities that is tied to a proposed data center of roughly two million square feet along South U.S. 68, inside city limits. Council is expected to make its decision on October 20. Urbana City Council should reject this deal and keep the data center out of Urbana.

At the October 6 council meeting, about 30 people stood up to speak, and the session ran past 10 p.m. Several speakers argued that a choice this big belongs to the people who live in Urbana, not to a negotiation with an outside developer. "We cannot be bought," some residents told council, as reported by April King. Others warned that once the city opens the door to a project of this size, it may never be able to shut it.

Big questions remain unanswered. Concerns have been raised about the financial incentives that could come with the project, including possible cash and infrastructure commitments. Community member Brad Winner Jr. asked why the matter is being handled behind closed doors in executive session, and he warned that a settlement could mean "trading one lawsuit for another" over property rights, according to the same report.

After more than an hour in private session, council took no action and said it needs more information. That pause is a chance for council members to listen to the residents who packed the room.

A development this large could shape Urbana for decades. The people who live there deserve the final say, not a settlement negotiated out of public view.

Sign the petition to tell Urbana City Council to reject the Thor Equities data center before it decides on October 20.