County CouncilFriday, November 6
Spartanburg County Council passes three data center agreements on second reading
The Daily Spartanburg team
If you've followed the data center debate, council took a big step on Election Day. At a special-called meeting, Spartanburg County Council passed the second reading of three development agreements, and all three advance to third reading.
All three data center agreements passed, NorthMark's by 3-2
| Data center | Result | No votes |
|---|---|---|
| NorthMark (Valara Holdings), Pine Street | Passed 3-2 | Abusaft, DeShields |
| AIB, Tyger River Industrial Park | Passed | Coker |
| Jones Road | Passed | Coker |
Source: Post and Courier
Council member Monier Abusaft, one of the two no votes on NorthMark's agreement, said the company threatened legal action after council held back an earlier version. NorthMark did not respond to a request for comment. County administrator Cole Alverson said missing site plans and exhibits will be posted publicly before council's regular November meeting.
NorthMark's data center by the numbers
- $2.8 billion
- for NorthMark's self-powered data center
- 457 megawatts
- planned for the Pine Street site
- 12 years
- the NorthMark agreement would last if approved
Sources: Post and Courier, South Carolina Public Radio
- Tax incentives: none for any of the three
- AIB plans to give up an existing property tax break
- Missing from NorthMark's: dates for sound study and mitigation plans
- Jones Road and AIB: both must submit sound, light and landscaping plans
“This isn't transparency. It's a calculated corporate ambush designed to minimize our voices.”
Sources: Post and Courier, South Carolina Public Radio