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UD Data Center Dead

jobsnow.org

DOVER, Del. (AP) - The University of Delaware says it is pulling the plug on plans for development of a data center at the former Chrysler assembly plant site in Newark.

University officials said in a statement Thursday that an internal working group concluded that the proposed facility, which included a 279-megawatt power plant, was not consistent with plans for its science and technology campus.

The Data Centers LLC, based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, had proposed a 900,000-square-foot data center complex

The project was supported by Gov. Jack Markell as a jobs creator but drew fierce local opposition from many Newark residents.

The project also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who threatened to withhold $3 million from the university if it dragged its feet in deciding whether to go ahead with it.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.