Panattoni Takes Over Meta-Backed Data Center Project in Southern Wisconsin Amid Local Opposition
May 19, 2026
Panattoni Takes Over Meta-Backed Data Center Project in Southern Wisconsin Amid Local Opposition
Real estate developer Panattoni has assumed control of a proposed 430-acre data center project in southern Wisconsin, a development originally backed by Meta and previously managed under the entity Cambrin LLC. The project, spanning the towns of Beloit and Turtle in Rock County, was initially tied to Meta through documents that listed the same name and email address associated with the company’s confirmed data center in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The transition marks a significant shift in the project’s leadership, though local residents remain deeply opposed.
John Malizio, the Town of Beloit’s Administrator, confirmed to the Beloit Daily News last Friday that Panattoni had reached out to announce their takeover of the project. The developer has reportedly set up two websites related to the data center, though neither was accessible at the time of writing. The property is currently owned by Rock Road Companies Inc., based in Janesville, Wisconsin, and the pre-development agreement has been under negotiation since June 2025.
The project, internally referred to as “Project Cornmaze,” has sparked substantial backlash from the community. A public Facebook group called “No Beloit Data Center” has amassed around 2,700 members, and a widely circulated flyer urges residents to call on the State Governor to issue a moratorium on data center construction. It also requests county and local authorities to ban non-disclosure agreements between developers and governments, reflecting growing distrust in the planning process.
Panattoni, founded in 1986 as an industrial real estate firm, has developed approximately 625 million square feet of office, logistics, and industrial space in the United States alone. In August 2024, the company announced its entry into the data center sector, setting a target to develop 1GW of capacity by 2030. According to its website, Panattoni currently has 21 “active” data center projects. The company also operates a European unit, which established its own data center team in July 2025 after recruiting several former staff from Colt Data Centre Services.
The transition of this Wisconsin project to Panattoni highlights the growing tension between state-level incentives for large-scale data center developments and local pushback from communities concerned about environmental impact, land use, and transparency. As data center demand surges driven by AI and cloud computing, developers are increasingly facing resistance in rural and suburban areas, where residents fear noise, water usage, and changes to the local landscape. Panattoni’s involvement may bring additional resources and expertise to navigate these challenges, but the project’s future remains uncertain as opposition continues to mount.
Source: datacenterdynamics
