Karis Critical Data Center, Naperville, Illinois

Naperville's city council rejected the Karis Critical data center proposed for 1960 Lucent Lane on January 20, 2026, ending months of debate. The DuPage County council voted 6 to 1 against a conditional use permit: Mary Gibson, Ian Holzhauer, Supna Jain, Patrick Kelly, Ashfaq Syed and Benny White voted no, Josh McBroom voted yes, and Mayor Scott Wehrli and Nate Wilson abstained. The 40.87 acre parcel holds the former Nokia/Alcatel-Lucent building.

Karis first proposed two buildings with 72 megawatts of power in September 2025; the planning and zoning commission approved a 36 megawatt version in November, and by the council vote the company had cut it to 24 megawatts in one building. The commission had voted 8 to 1 for a 211,000 square foot building, with Commissioner Naumes the only no, and Karis spokesperson Patrick Skarr pointed to a "$250 million" investment.

Karis also offered to cut the diesel generators from 24 to 12, running them only during power cuts and for monthly tests. Greg Strom of Karis said: "We have no interest in building and developing a facility that causes trouble within the community."

A petition against the plan had more than 3,700 signatures by November 20, 2025, and more than two dozen local doctors spoke against it at the November 5 hearing. By the time it reached the council more than 5,000 residents had signed, citing more than 200 homes, nature preserves and three playgrounds within walking distance. Rich Janor said: "We're not opposed to data centers. We're pro-business. We like AI, but we don't want it so close to homes."

Organizers of an older petition against housing near the Herrick Lake and Danada forest preserves turned it on the data center, calling supporters to a December 16, 2025 council meeting for a 30 minute presentation against the plan. More than 40 people spoke at the final meeting; oncologist Sujay Shah warned: "Diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen; that is not debatable." Anthony Giunti, for electrical workers, spoke for the construction jobs, while Hiba Suleman put the residents' case plainly: "mitigation is not elimination."

Kelly said locating the data center "this close to four and soon to be five neighborhoods" would harm public health, safety and welfare. Jain objected to design changes that had not gone through the planning commission: "When does it end, then? It could continually be changed, and when are we really able to make a decisive vote on it?" Wehrli moved to put the vote off to February 17, and that failed 3 to 6.

Karis said afterward: "We are disappointed by the outcome of the vote, which overturned the city plan commission's recommendation." The DuPage County Building Trades said "six officials took years of high-paying, high-skilled work away from the men and women of the trades." City attorney Michael DiSanto said Karis "retains the opportunity to resubmit a revised proposal for a data center development," with changes or at another location.