Project Cardinal data center campus (Yorkville)
Also called: Project Cardinal
Pioneer Development wants to build 14 two-story data center buildings on about 1,037 acres of farmland on Yorkville's north side. Yorkville approved it in November 2025. The water deal caps average use at 42,000 gallons a day. Neighbors have sued.
Where things stand: City Council approved the plan in Nov. 2025. In June 2026 the developer asked for more time (to Dec. 31, 2027) to buy the land. A neighbor's lawsuit is in court.
🕒 Latest update (June 9, 2026): Developer asked the city to move its land-purchase deadline from July 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027.
What we know
- 📍 WhereNorthwest of Route 47 and Galena Road, south of Baseline Road, east of Ashe Road, Yorkville, Kendall County
- 🏢 CompanyPioneer Development, LLC
- 🌳 Size1,037 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs1,800 megawatts (about as much as 1,440,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromPlans include two electrical substations and a utility switchyard on site.
- 🗼 New power linesYes
- 💧 Water42,000 gallons a day
- 💸 Tax breaksDeveloper agreed to pay the city $51 million up front over four years, if it buys the land. Backers project $35-70 million a year in property taxes for Yorkville schools at full build-out.
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Which company will use the data centers? 🙋 I'll find out
- Did the City Council grant the land-purchase extension to Dec. 31, 2027? 🙋 I'll find out
- Where does the 1,800 megawatts of power come from, and who pays for the new power lines? 🙋 I'll find out
- How did the court rule on the neighbor's lawsuit? 🙋 I'll find out
- Was a secret deal (NDA) signed with city officials? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- June 10, 2025City Council held a public hearing on annexing part of the land.
- Oct 28, 2025City Council put off (tabled) the vote.
- Nov 10, 2025City Council voted unanimously to approve the campus plan.
- Dec 2025A neighbor sued the city and the developer, saying the plan breaks the city's land-use plan for homes.
- June 9, 2026Developer asked the city to move its land-purchase deadline from July 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027.
Local votes and rules
✅ Approved
City council unanimously approved the 1,037-acre Project Cardinal data center campus (14 buildings) north of Galena Road. Buildings are limited to 78 feet. They must sit 625 feet from Bristol Bay homes and 1,200 feet from Equestrian Estates.
⚖️ Court case
A neighbor sued the city and developer Pioneer Development over Project Cardinal. The suit says the data center departs too far from the city plan, which marks the area for homes.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Project Cardinal Data Center Campus (case PZC 2025-08) · City of Yorkville · 2026
- Yorkville OKs 1,037-acre Project Cardinal data center · Shaw Local (Kendall County Now) · Nov 11, 2025
- Court sets schedule in lawsuit challenging Yorkville data center plan · WSPY News · Dec 2025
- Developers of Project Cardinal data center in Yorkville ask for 18-month extension to purchase land · Shaw Local (Kendall County Now) · June 8, 2026
- Data Centers in Illinois (1.8 GW figure) · Data Center Census · 2026
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