Real Estate Firm Cervenka Development Partners Eyes Amherst, Ohio, for Potential Data Center Project

A real estate development firm is exploring the possibility of building a data center in Amherst, Ohio, a move that underscores the growing demand for digital infrastructure in secondary markets across the United States. Cervenka Development Partners has submitted a request for a use variance—a zoning exception—to allow a data center on three land parcels located at 100, 200, and 300 Nordson Drive, which are currently zoned for industrial use.

The request is scheduled to be reviewed at the City of Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on July 29, 2026. The three properties sit on a combined 36.58-acre parcel, and all are listed for sale on LoopNet. One of the properties is currently occupied by Nordson Industrial Cooling Systems, a cooling equipment manufacturer, while the other two appear to be vacant.

A spokesperson for Cervenka Development Partners told local media that no sale has been finalized and that the variance request is part of standard due diligence. The firm, which describes itself as a “woman-owned commercial real estate development and consulting firm,” is run by married couple Tom and Sasha Cervenka. Its website lists two proposed warehouse projects in Denville, New Jersey, and Pepperell, Massachusetts, but it remains unclear whether the company has prior experience developing data centers.

Amherst is located in northern Ohio, roughly 28 miles (45 km) west of Cleveland. According to Data Center Map, there are currently no data centers listed in the immediate area, suggesting that the project, if realized, could mark a significant entry into an underserved region. The proposal reflects a broader trend of real estate developers and investors scouting smaller cities and suburban areas for data center development, driven by rising demand for cloud and AI workloads and constraints on land and power availability in major metropolitan hubs.