Wildcat Ridge data center campus (Archbald)
Also called: Wildcat Ridge AI Data Center Campus
A New York developer wants to build 14 large data center buildings on about 574 acres of mountain land in Archbald. It would use about 1.6 gigawatts of power and have 588 diesel backup generators. Borough Council must decide by late October 2026.
Where things stand: Hearings ended Sept. 10, 2026. Borough Council must approve, deny, or add conditions within 45 days (about Oct. 25, 2026).
🕒 Latest update (Sept 10, 2026): Council refused to step aside (recusal) and closed the hearing record after 9 hearings.
Archbald Borough Council. We don't know yet if Wildcat Ridge data center campus (Archbald) is on the agenda. Call the office to check before you go.
What we know
- 📍 WhereMountainside land near Business Route 6 and Wildcat Road, above Eynon and Sturges, Archbald, Lackawanna County
- 🏢 CompanyCornell Realty Management LLC (Brooklyn, NY)
- 🌳 Size574 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs1,600 megawatts (about as much as 1,280,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromNeeds a very large connection to the power grid (1.6 gigawatts). Must be near a high-voltage power line.
- 💧 WaterPennsylvania American Water (Lake Scranton) was reported; mine water for cooling was also discussed · 3,300,000 gallons a day
- 🛢️ Diesel generators588
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Who is the end user (tenant)? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water will it really use each day, and from where? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will new high-voltage power lines be built, and who pays for them? 🙋 I'll find out
- Was a secret deal (NDA) signed with any official? 🙋 I'll find out
- On what date will Borough Council vote? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will the Wildcat Ridge developer apply to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to use mine pool water, and who pays for the $93 million in water upgrades? 🙋 I'll find out
🔎 What we checked
- Oct 6, 2026: We checked the Susquehanna River Basin Commission's public list of water applications: there is no water application from this project. As of mid-2026, SRBC said Amazon's Salem Township campus was the only data center it had approved. A data center needs SRBC approval before it runs if it uses up (mostly by evaporation) more than 20,000 gallons a day on a 30-day average, or takes water from its own wells or streams above SRBC limits.
What happened so far
- Jan 2025Developer filed plans for a 14-building campus.
- Nov 24, 2025Borough passed a zoning change that makes data centers a conditional use in an overlay zone.
- Jan 29, 2026The developer told Archbald council that Pennsylvania American Water would serve the site from the Lake Scranton watershed, and that about $93 million in water system upgrades would be needed to supply 3.3 million gallons a day. It also floated using old mine pool water as an extra source, which would need testing plus DEP and Susquehanna River Basin Commission permits. About 78,000 gallons a day of wastewater could go to the Lackawanna River sewer authority.
- May 14, 2026Public hearing held; up to 3.3 million gallons a day of water from Lake Scranton was discussed.
- Sept 10, 2026Council refused to step aside (recusal) and closed the hearing record after 9 hearings.
Local votes and rules
📌 Other
Archbald Borough Council finished hearings on the Wildcat Ridge data center campus, which would have 14 large buildings on more than 500 acres. Council refused the developer's request that members step aside for bias. A written decision is due within 45 days of the last hearing.
✋ Turned down
Archbald Borough Council voted down a plan by Texas-based Provident Realty Advisors (Archbald 1 LLC) for a data center complex with 18 computer buildings. About 200 residents came to the special meeting to oppose it.
📌 Other
After months of complaints about how data center plans were handled, Archbald Borough Council removed its president, vice president, and president pro tem from those leadership roles. A new council president was chosen.
⚖️ Court case
Eight Archbald residents asked the county court to throw out the borough's new data center zoning law. They say the borough skipped required steps like proper notice and planning review. They also say the law lets data centers go in more places and be taller and louder.
📜 Data center rules
Archbald Borough Council voted 4-2, with one member not voting, to add data center rules to its zoning law. The rules create data center overlay zones in four areas of the borough. Many residents spoke against it, and an earlier try in October failed.
📌 Other
Archbald Borough Council met to vote on new data center zoning rules, but the plan died because no one seconded the motion. Residents saw this as a win. Council later passed the rules in November 2025.
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Archbald borough council decides against recusal, listens to final testimony on Wildcat Ridge Data Center · WVIA · Sept 10, 2026
- Archbald Borough Council Begins 45-Day Decision Window on Wildcat Ridge Data Center · WILK News (Audacy) · Sept 2026
- Data Centers Are Poised to Engulf a Pennsylvania Town · DeSmog · March 11, 2026
- The data center showdown in Lackawanna County · Resilience.org · June 16, 2026
- Data centers as 2025 newsmaker of the year · The Times-Tribune (via Yahoo News) · Dec 28, 2025
- Officials & Government (meeting schedule) · Archbald Borough · Oct 6, 2026
- PA DEP Data Center Permit Tracker · Pennsylvania DEP · Oct 6, 2026
- Archbald council hears from data center developer eyeing 500-acre site, possible mine water use · WVIA · Jan 29, 2026
- Water Use by Data Centers in the Susquehanna River Basin - FAQ · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · 2026
- Water Application and Approval Viewer (WAAV) · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · Oct 6, 2026
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