BEAVER DAM, Wis. — Another data center is coming to southeastern Wisconsin.
READ ALSO | Neighbors split after Port Washington implements new safety plan for city meetings amid data center protests
Facebook's parent company, Meta, announced it's building its 30th data center off County Road A and Highway 151 just north of Beaver Dam. The tech giant said the new facility will help enable "ambitious AI workloads."
Joseph Cantafio owns the supper club across the street from the construction site of Meta's new data center. His family bought Cantafio's Buckhorn Supper Club in 1978.
"No, I'm not worried," he said. "Financially, it's been good for us at this time."
Despite what other communities have said about data centers in different parts of Wisconsin, he said so far, they're good in the Town of Trenton — Dodge County farmland annexed by Beaver Dam, now home to piles of dirt and building foundations, soon to be a data center.
Watch: Rural community expresses mixed to optimistic feelings about Meta building 30th data center near Beaver Dam
"With technology, this is just inevitable," Cantafio said. "It's going to keep on going like this with the technology coming out."
Other community members who live on the property said they're uncertain about the future. Could it be good? Could it be bad? They don't know yet. It's too soon to tell. But what one resident said the dirt that blows onto her home from the construction is worrying her. The front of her house and lawn is covered with dirt blown by the wind and stuck to her grass, grill, deck and windows.
Other neighbors wouldn't speak on camera, but said they're not thrilled about the construction, but optimistic about being neighbors to Meta. They said they read online that the company restores wetlands and takes care of their properties.
Either way, for the few homes and businesses here, they said it's too soon to tell.
"I hope it's good," Cantafio said. "I've just seen the negative things, but whether it's true or not, I don't know."
TMJ4 has covered several data centers being proposed or built in southeast Wisconsin. If you have a question or concern, let's talk! Email us, scan the QR code or reach out anytime on social media.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
