Many Sangamon County residents received a text message around 4:45 p.m. on April 1, promoting the proposed CyrusOne data center project and the jobs it would create. Recipients were asked to add their names to a support page, sangamonjobsnow.com.
The text message featured a video of the Central Illinois Building & Trades Council and its affiliates, almost 20 separate unions from bricklayers to boilermakers and asbestos workers, asking for public support. A summary at the end of the video notes that the advertisement was paid for by the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, a public-private partnership that has been a vocal advocate for the project.
Numerous Sangamon County residents have posted screenshots of the text message on social media criticizing the outreach. Some have also posted the phone number of the Growth Alliance and asked people to call and leave messages expressing their opposition to the project. In the less than 24 hours since the text was sent, numerous one-star Google reviews of the Growth Alliance have been posted by accounts that note receiving the text.
At the March 23 Sangamon County Board meeting, the data center zoning request was eventually tabled after more than three hours of public comments. While the majority of the speakers criticized the proposed project, it did have support from people working in construction and labor unions. The Growth Alliance’s text message notes the project would bring 500 construction-related jobs, although the average data center project in Illinois, from 2020 through 2024, only generated 150 to 300 construction-related jobs.
Ryan McCrady, president and CEO of Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, said the organization paid a marketing firm, which he declined to name, to send out the advertisement.
“There are publicly and commercially available lists of phone numbers that marketing firms and political committees use from time to time to contact the voters and residents in general geographic areas,” McCrady said. “By working with a marketing firm, they’re able to access those lists – it’s a common business practice that’s done from time to time.”
McCrady said he didn’t know how many people it was sent to but “the only goal of the communication is to make sure that the public understands the positive aspects of the project.”
Data brokers can access personal, but anonymized, information through third-party permissions that users grant to digital apps and devices.
Aaron Gurnsey, president of the Central Illinois Building & Trades Council and also a Growth Alliance board member, told Illinois Times the 500 jobs figure comes from CyrusOne but that even if it was only 150 jobs, he’s still supportive.
“If it’s 150 construction jobs, to be honest with you, that’s still a pretty large construction project,” Gurnsey said.
He also said the size of the project contributes to how many construction jobs are needed, referencing a recent approval by the city of Joliet for a nearly 800-acre data center.
“They’re talking about 7,500 construction jobs as far as that one goes, and it’s a massive project, so depending on the scope and the size of the project, the duration makes a difference,” he said.
The next Sangamon County Board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, and has been moved to the BOS Center to accommodate public turnout. Sources have told Illinois Times that a County Board member will call forward the tabled zoning resolution.
Horrible idea and such a BS angle to use job growth as an excuse. That’s only temporary and they don’t say anything about the negative effects of a data center.
Exactly 💯. Just like Used Car Salesmen, they will give you every excuse in the book. AND THEY LIE about Other things too! Andy Van Meter minions.
No data center!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All the jobs are temporary!!!! Inflates the value of the land and will raise taxes for us with no benefit financially or environmentally for the communities!!!! They have already made it a fact that these create heat islands and raise the surrounding temperatures. Man made climate change!!!!! Terrible terrible terrible idea and shame on unions for supporting them for their own interests!
no data center