WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (WSAU) — There’s been little movement on plans for a potential data center in Wisconsin Rapids.
Mayor Matt Zacher says at this time, there are no final plans for PCH WI Holdings to purchase the former mill site. All they’ve submitted is a 100-day due diligence notice. “There is nothing in place right now. There is no offer to purchase, there are no plans to [go before] the Plan Commission or the Council. So, it’s hard to go to the community and say, ‘this is what we want to talk about.’ because we don’t have something specific to talk about.”
But that doesn’t mean the Mayor is shying away from the topic, he says he has spoken to residents one-on-one and in small-group settings. He’s found those discussions productive, but he and others are still battling misinformation and rumors circulating through social media. “We are doing as well as we can to make sure we are hearing people. We have awesome people in this community, and I know some of them are scared because there is a fear out there that [this project] will destroy the community and that the [Wisconsin] River will be destroyed. They are valid fears, and we have to address them, bring some [fact-based] information to the table, based on what this site is and what we are able to do with this company, versus what’s just on the internet and social media.”
The city has brought in outside counsel to help with the discussions, which Zacher says was necessary to make sure everything stays on the up and up. Further information on the potential project will be released in due course.
Other topics Zacher discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- Potential data center update
6:50- Rapids Riverside Freedom Fest update
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