‘Stop the Hermantown data center’ meets for first time since Google announcement

HERMANTOWN, Minn. (Northern News Now) - Amid the announcement this week that Google is the company connected to a proposed data center in Hermantown. The grassroots group ‘Stop the Hermantown Data Center’ gathered in Solway township.

RELATED: Google behind Hermantown proposed data center

There was a clear tension at the town hall meeting, particularly frustration towards local politicians and their lack of action, some suggesting taking their concerns to the state capitol themselves.

One local commented that it would be better to move the data center to a more industrial part of the state instead of their rural town.

“Hermantown used to brag about ‘come live in Hermantown because it’s a nice rural area and this and that’, and there’s people that have moved in there and built homes, and now they’re going to say, ‘too bad,’” said a local of Hermantown, Tim Resberg.

Northern News Now was allowed to stay almost the full hour into the meeting, but our reporter was asked to leave for the remainder of the time.

City Response

In its announcement on Tuesday, the City of Hermantown said the partnership with Google could bring benefits to the community, its taxpayers and schools in having tax revenue and hundreds of jobs generated by the proposed data center

Northern News Now reached out to the city of Hermantown for an updated comment regarding concerns brought up at the ‘Stop the Hermantown data center’ meeting, but has yet to receive a response.

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