CyrusOne Secures Approval for Major $500M Data Center Campus in Illinois
April 9, 2026
In a significant development for the data center industry's expansion into new markets, CyrusOne has received the final green light to construct a massive new campus in Sangamon County, Illinois. The approval underscores the ongoing tension between the rapid growth of digital infrastructure and local community concerns, a dynamic increasingly common across the United States.
The Sangamon County Board voted on Tuesday to grant permission for the project, clearing the way for CyrusOne to build a $500 million data center campus. The development will span 280 acres on Thayer Road in Waverly and is planned to comprise four buildings. At full buildout, the campus is designed to offer up to 634 megawatts of critical IT capacity, utilizing a closed-loop cooling system. The company estimates the project will generate approximately $100 million in property tax revenue over a 20-year period.
This decision marks a victory for the data center developer, which is jointly owned by private equity firms KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners. CyrusOne had initially applied for planning permission in October of last year, but the proposal faced substantial opposition from a number of local residents. Concerns were raised regarding the environmental impact of the facility, its proximity to residential areas, and the planning process itself. In the lead-up to the vote, community members were urged, “Once again, please show up in force … We all need this project,” highlighting the divisive nature of the development.
The new campus will expand CyrusOne's footprint in Illinois, where it already operates facilities in Aurora and Lombard. The company manages a portfolio of more than 50 data centers across the U.S. and Europe. The Aurora site notably experienced a shutdown last November that temporarily disrupted services for the CME Group, one of the world's largest derivatives exchanges, illustrating the critical nature of such infrastructure.
The approval carries broader implications for the industry's geographical diversification. While most data center capacity in Illinois is concentrated in and around Chicago, the move into Sangamon County—home to the state capital, Springfield—signals a push into central Illinois. It reflects a wider trend where data center operators are seeking new locations with available power and land, often navigating complex local approvals processes that balance economic benefits against community apprehensions.
Source: datacenterdynamics
