Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Stickney mayor, board oppose data center at Hawthorne horse racing site

suntimes.com · 2hShare

Stickney officials say they oppose construction of a data center at the site of the now-closed Hawthorne Race Course, which closed down last month after 135 years of horse racing. On Thursday, the village’s board of trustees voted unanimously to block any data center proposals. The moratorium states the village won’t accept changes of zoning or any approvals that would allow a data center. “If a data center project for Hawthorne Race Course lands before the board of trustees, I will vote no,” Mayor Mitch Milenkovic, said in a statement. He cited the enormous demand for water and power at the plants and concerns about noise and other nuisances. Stickney isn’t alone in opposing the large-scale computing centers, which are popping up across the country to support artificial intelligence applications. Mayor Brandon Johnson has asked the City Council to pass a moratorium on such facilities. Hawthorne, the oldest horse racing venue in Illinois, is being acquired after filing for bankruptcy p

First report: Long-vacant Hawthorne Plaza faces demolition after court ruling — ktla.com, 3d