Prospect of Springdale data center meets mixed reactions among neighbors

Dale Remai likes the idea of a data center in Springdale where a power plant used to stand.

A resident of Shady Avenue, adjacent to the former power plant site, Remai, 69, thinks it could be a boon to the borough in terms of attracting other employers. At least, it’s better than an empty lot.

“I think the data center is actually a really good idea,” he said.

In addition to creating jobs, he said, the center could potentially bring increased attention to the area, attracting other businesses and greater investment.

But in the end, a data center is “as good a thing as any” to occupy the now-vacant site, he said.

That seems to be the reaction most residents have on the future plans for the former Cheswick Generating Station property after Scott Reschly, president of Charah Environmental Redevelopment Group, the Louisville-based firm that bought the site in 2022, said he is under contract with a “large multinational, experienced” data center developer pending a due diligence period.

He said he could not disclose the name of the company yet.

Data centers house computing equipment like servers and storage devices that hold internet data for text messaging, internet services and bank transactions for companies or organizations.

Darrick Stanko, 46, would be glad to see just about anything fill the site, including a data center.

The resident of Porter Street, directly across the street from the site in Springdale, said as long as the center could provide at least a couple of jobs and serve as a “good neighbor,” he would welcome its construction.

Stanko said he’s also in favor of the inclusion of a park or recreation area near the former site, something state Rep. Mandy Steele, (D-Fox Chapel), said she has discussed with the buyer.

Donna Dezera, 82, on nearby Lincoln Avenue, said the neighborhood could use a grocery store or retail area at the site of the former plant, which is something several other Springdale residents echoed.

Dezera said she also would like to see more high-rise housing built on the lot rather than a data center.

But with the sale already under contract and the lot’s prime electrical grid location, Steele said the prospect of any retail development there is “very unlikely.” The representative said she is exploring the potential for a grocery store at nearby locations, however.

A street over on Duquesne Avenue, Eric Trainer, 63, said a data center would “not necessarily be detrimental” to the area, but he would prefer to see a mixed-use development of retail options and affordable housing. He said he would also support recreational opportunities, like fishing, at the site.

Trainer also noted the large energy demand of data centers, which has been a cause for concern as the industry expands in the region.

A resident of Garfield Street in Springdale, Dave Landis, 68, said he was generally supportive of a data center. But he said he misses the now-demolished power station, where his father worked for his entire career.

The longtime homeowner said he just hopes the developer plants grass at the site to keep dust out of the neighborhood.

“We don’t need a desert over here,” Landis said.

According to a report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission of Virginia — the state with the largest concentration of data centers — a typical 250,000-square-foot data center employs around 50 full-time workers, half of which are contractors.

Though that’s comparatively few when looking at other industries, the jobs tend to be high paying, according to the report.

Steele said construction at the site would attract jobs to the area, but she couldn’t confirm how many people may ultimately be employed at the site.

She’s also looking to expand green space along the river, something she said the buyer supports.

“This is a really, really big opportunity for the community in terms of job creation, but equally important in terms of recreation,” she said.

Remediation efforts at the site, which have been ongoing since March, are complete, Reschly said.