Alton Lays Over Data Center Consulting Agreement
Agreement with consulting firm on data center study delayed to December as officials await more information.
City of Alton - Committee of the Whole Meeting
ALTON – Alton officials are holding off on an agreement with a consulting firm to study the potential economic and environmental impacts of a proposed data center.
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Committee of the Whole members laid over a resolution authorizing a professional services agreement between the City of Alton and Stantec Consulting Services Inc. at their Nov. 9, 2026 meeting.
If approved, the city would bring in Stantec Consulting Services Inc. “to review plans, economic data and environmental impacts at the former Alton Steel Inc. site,” according to the resolution.
“Support is required to assess the suitability and effect on the community of the proposed data center project at the former Alton Steel Inc. site,” the resolution states.
Aldermen moved to lay the item over after hearing a few more public comments against a proposed data center at the former Alton Steel mill. One resident said the city should consider building a theme park at the site instead, which they suggested would generate millions in annual revenue for Alton.
Another resident said the city has hired Stantec for past projects and urged them to choose a different company to conduct a truly independent study of the project’s potential impacts. They said the new company should be unaffiliated with the city, Stantec or TerraWatt, the developer behind the data center proposal.
When the item came up for a vote, Alderwoman Stephanie Elliott moved to lay the item over until the city’s corporation counselor could provide more information about the agreement.
Alderwoman Martha Pfister said she feels strongly about the subject but will not be able to attend the next Committee of the Whole meeting. She asked to lay the item over until the committee’s first December meeting on Monday, Dec. 7, 2026. No vote was required for the first-time layover.
Riverbender.com has requested a copy of the agreement, which has not yet been provided. More details will be included in future coverage as they become available.
A recording of the Nov. 9, 2026 Alton Committee of the Whole meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
What are your thoughts on the city delaying consideration of a consulting firm to study potential data center impacts? Let us know in the comments below!
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