Trenton data center plan outlined by Prologis; residents question benefits and risks

Prologis Senior Vice President of Data Centers JC Witt and Vice President of Data Center Preconstruction Brett Skyllingstad answered questions, along with Trenton City Manager Marcos Nichols and Finance Director Matthew Mesisklis.

Questions — both pre‑submitted and live — focused on water usage, electrical grid impact, job creation, environmental concerns and transparency.

Power and infrastructure concerns

Wayne Twp. resident Cherilu Duval said Prologis should “bear the weight” of any necessary grid upgrades “because they are the ones that are putting the strain on the infrastructure. Not everyday people.”

Prologis representatives said the company will 100% fund all power system upgrades and utility costs required to serve the proposed 250‑megawatt, 880,000‑square‑foot data center.

Madison Twp. resident Nicole Poplin said she supports “responsible growth … (but) a data center does not belong in your backyard.”

Poplin said she favors a statewide moratorium on data center development until more is understood about long‑term impacts. Prologis representatives said the company does not support a moratorium.

They also said the site was chosen because it sits in a manufacturing corridor and near existing power infrastructure. Light‑impact studies showed the facility would emit “the equivalent light of a full moon,” and a traffic study concluded no road improvements were needed to support the project.

NDA and transparency

Witt confirmed Nichols had signed a non-disclosure agreement with Prologis, calling it “a typical part of the due diligence process.”

However, due to the sensitivity of the project, Witt said he supported terminating the NDA.

Nichols said NDAs are standard for any new development conversations within the city.

Water use and revenue

The project is expected to use up to 15.8 million gallons of water annually, largely due to the use of a direct evaporative free‑air cooling system, which reduces water needs.

Water, sewer and stormwater fees could bring about $120,000 a year to the city.

Incentives and schools

A potential incentive agreement — not yet approved — would grant a 75% Community Reinvestment Area abatement for 15 years, reducing the taxable value of the building during that period.

During the 15-year CRA, Trenton could receive $513,422 a year in property tax revenue and ECSD could receive $824,314.

After 15 years, the data center would be taxed at full value: $238.5 million.

Based on that full valuation after 15 years:

ECSD Superintendent Curtis Philpot told Journal‑News that potential revenue could be a “long‑term solution” at a time when the district faces uncertainty from state funding formula changes and declining enrollment.

He said revenue from the project could “offset the burden” on the district.

Income tax revenue

Once the development is fully built out, the city of Trenton and ECSD would equally share income tax revenue from jobs created at the facility.

Based on Prologis’ projection of 140 permanent jobs, each entity could see about $99,000 a year through the 1.5% income tax.

What’s next?

Skyllingstad told Journal-News following the meeting that Prologis “cares deeply about connecting with the communities that we build in.”

“It’s very important for us to hear concerns that community members may have,” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation that’s happening around the data center construction ecosystem right now, and it’s very important for us to be able to share the truths that are out there about building these facilities and the positive impacts that they have.”

Moving forward, Skyllingstad said Prologis plans to engage with communities “as early as possible” as the company moves forward with data center construction in other cities.

“We want to make sure we’re very transparent at all times,” he said.

Prologis will seek site plan approval from the Trenton Planning Commission on March 9.

If approved, construction on the first of four buildings could begin later this year, with the final building completed in 2029.