PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — Ozaukee residents are experiencing daily disruptions from Port Washington data center construction, with some reporting their houses shaking from heavy truck traffic.
Tracy Shafer, who lives in the Town of Belgium near the construction, said trucks pass her home continuously for six days a week, running from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"The one time, there were over 12 in less than two minutes," Shafer said. "If they're gonna build it, they're gonna build it. Whatever. You're disrupting our lifestyle."
The first phase of construction has been underway for weeks at the nearly $15 billion data center site that sits north of the city's downtown. The current phase involves clearing and leveling farmland, requiring constant movement of dirt and gravel by dump trucks.
Watch: How data center construction is affecting daily life in Ozaukee County:
Residents like Shafer have contacted TMJ4 over the last few weeks to express two primary concerns: extended construction schedules approved by the city and traffic impacts and closures on their neighborhood, which is primarily comprised of rural farmsteads.
The area is currently difficult to navigate, stemming from road closures around the site, like on Highway LL near the Ozaukee Interurban Trail.
Vantage Data Centers is building the complex for Oracle and OpenAI. A Vantage spokesperson provided a statement and construction schedule outlining the project timeline.
In terms of construction, please see the high-level schedule for the next several months below:
- Until April, we will mainly focus on major earthworks, including cutting and landfilling, to achieve a level site.
- All wetlands, in accordance with permit requirements, will be protected and ring-fenced to ensure WEPA compliance.
- Perimeter fencing around the construction site will also be installed, including security, video surveillance and access control.
- Preparation of the trailer park, parking areas, logistics laydown pads and access roads will be completed.
- Foundation drilling for buildings 1 and 2 is scheduled to begin in mid-to-late January, with buildings 3 and 4 to follow.
- Segmented foundation slab works will commence once piling is complete.
- Steel construction and erection of the superstructure on the foundations are planned to start at the end of February.
- Following steel erection, modular concrete wall installation and construction of the external building envelope will proceed.
TMJ4 has been covering meetings related to the controversial data center project since the beginning of the year . That includes an effort to recall the mayor over the project.
For more stories related to neighbors opinions both positive and negative, click on one of the links or click here to visit TMJ4's Ozaukee County homepage.
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.
