Pennsylvania Township Reviews Preliminary Plans for Major Data Center Campus
March 12, 2026
A significant data center development is under preliminary consideration in Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania, highlighting the ongoing expansion of digital infrastructure beyond traditional major metro hubs into new regional markets.
The Smithfield Township Planning Commission discussed initial proposals for the 'Smithfield Gateway' project in mid-February. The plans outline a campus comprising two facilities, each spanning 250,000 square feet (approximately 23,225 square meters), to be situated south of Music Center Drive and north of Smithfield Lane near Stroudsburg. Application documents link the project to Legend Properties, a commercial real estate firm active in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, though the potential end-user operator has not been disclosed.
The proposal has already sparked notable local opposition. A community petition titled ‘Stop the massive data center in East Stroudsburg, PA’ has gathered more than 800 signatures. It argues that “while technology and data centers are crucial for modern communication, the scale of this project threatens to alter our community's landscape irreparably, impacting the environment, economy, and our daily lives.” The petition further details concerns over environmental impact, noise and light pollution, and questions the promised economic benefits, concluding with a call “upon the local government, city planners, and residents to protect East Stroudsburg from this unsustainable and invasive development.”
The project's location is notable as it represents a potential geographic shift for the state's data center industry. Most of Pennsylvania's existing data center capacity is concentrated near Philadelphia, with no major campuses currently recorded near the Stroudsburg area, which sits on the Delaware River at the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border. If approved, this development would mark a substantial new cluster, testing the balance between regional economic development through critical infrastructure investment and growing local community pushback against large-scale industrial projects.
Source: datacenterdynamics
