Karis Critical, a Naples, Florida developer, had two Chicago-suburb data center plans stopped by residents in 2026. On July 1 it withdrew its request to rezone the 186-acre Plum Farms property in Hoffman Estates, after weeks of organizing by neighbors there and in South Barrington and Barrington Hills. "We heard the feedback clearly, including the call for a more specific plan before any rezoning," spokesman Patrick Skarr said. Village staff had discussed a data center with Karis for 18 months before it bought the land for $45 million in January 2025.
In Naperville, the city council voted 6-1 on January 20, 2026 to deny Karis's 145,000-square-foot, 36 megawatt data center on the former Lucent campus, overturning the plan commission's recommendation. Karis had already cut its plan from two buildings and 72 megawatts, and a petition against it gathered more than 5,000 signatures. Its attorney offered to halve the diesel generators from 24 to 12, but several dozen residents still spoke against it. Karis said it was "disappointed by the outcome of the vote."
Karis has since explored the 168-acre former BP campus in Naperville for a stand-alone data center of 100,000 to 125,000 square feet, though "we have no pending proposal for the 168-acre campus," spokesman Patrick Skarr said. In northwest Indiana, Karis has proposed up to nine buildings on 180 acres east of Deep River in Merrillville, an up to $900 million investment still seeking a zone change and power approval from NIPSCO.
Karis Critical sites on record
Grouped by country, then by state or region, biggest first. Open one to see the projects there. The report above may name sites that have no record here yet.
United States4 · 24 MW
Illinois3
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karis Critical Data CenterNaperville | Karis Critical | Blocked | 24 MW | |
| Karis Critical · Hoffman EstatesHoffman Estates | Karis Critical | Withdrawn | Not reported | |
| Karis Data CenterNaperville | Karis Critical | Proposed, early stage | Not reported |
Indiana1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karis Critical Data CenterMerrillville | Karis Critical | Proposed | Not reported |
Where this comes from
The reporting above was written from these. Open one and check it yourself.
Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.