Port Washington data center one step closer; Common Council approves tax district

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (CBS 58) - The Port Washington Common Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to approve a tax incremental district (TID) for the incoming data center.

The district will allow Vantage to cover the initial infrastructure costs of the data center.

Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke told CBS 58 last month that residents will not have to pay any more taxes in the future for the data center.

With the TID approved, the data center project rolls on, with ground expected to be broken by the end of the year.

Some residents spoke during public comment about their concerns and pleaded with the mayor and council to listen to them, asking them to stop the plans for the center.

There were also a handful of people talking about potential benefits, like jobs and economic influx.

Ashley Heun has lived in Port Washington for over 20 years; her home is on the edge of where the data center would go.

“From the perspective of where I live, I’m not a fan, and I’m not looking forward to all the construction trucks that are going to be coming up this road,” Heun said.

Heun finds herself in a unique position, because she owns a boutique store and restaurant in town, and could see the data center bringing more people in.

“Our summer months are our busy time, but the winters can be really tough to get through,” Heun said. “As a business owner, you definitely end up in a difficult spot because there’s a lot of benefits to AI.”

Heun says the data center situation has made her rethink her future and where she and her husband might live.

“It changes what I thought my long-term plan was for where I’d live and what I want to do,” Heun said.