Broadview Approves Temporary Data Center Moratorium

(Broadview, IL) – The Village of Broadview Board of Trustees has approved a temporary moratorium on the construction of data centers within village limits.

Village leaders decided that a data center in Broadview, whose population is roughly 8,000 residents and who live within an area of just 1.7 square miles, could put residential neighborhoods and students at risk from the noise pollution that these operations currently generate and potential utility bill increases.

Data centers run around the clock and rely on industrial cooling systems, backup generators and electrical equipment that produce persistent low-frequency noise. They also draw enormous amounts of water and electricity, which could push up water and electric bills for Broadview households already managing rising costs.

"My top priority is protecting the quality of life for the people who call Broadview home," said Mayor Katrina Thompson. "Our residents chose quiet neighborhoods, and they should not have to live with the constant hum of a data center next door. Nor should working families face the risk of exploding utility bills so a developer can power and cool its servers. This moratorium gives us the time to make sure Broadview's interests come first."

Trustees adopted the mesure at their regular board meeting on November 2.

The moratorium also reflects a broader concern about where these projects land.

Data center developers frequently target working-class and lower-income communities rather than wealthier suburbs, where residents often have more resources to push back.

“Broadview will not be treated as the path of least resistance,” said Thompson.

The moratorium is temporary. It will allow village staff and the Board to review zoning, noise standards and utility impacts before any data center proposal could move forward.