{"id":28386,"date":"2026-01-22T21:36:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T03:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/?page_id=28386"},"modified":"2026-01-22T22:28:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T04:28:02","slug":"mayor-parkinson-calls-for-calm-clarity-and-public-participation-as-data-center-speculation-grows","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/mayor-parkinson-calls-for-calm-clarity-and-public-participation-as-data-center-speculation-grows\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Parkinson Calls for Calm, Clarity, and Public Participation as Data Center Speculation Grows"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mayor Parkinson Calls for Calm, Clarity, and Public Participation <\/strong>
as Data Center Speculation Grows<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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GraniteCityGossip.com, January 22, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n

At Tuesday night\u2019s council meeting, Mayor Mike Parkinson addressed the growing speculation on social media about the possibility of a data center coming to Granite City. His message was direct: there is no offer, no proposal, and no negotiations underway, but the city is taking steps now to protect residents in case any major industrial project approaches in the future.

No Offer Has Been Made to the City.
Parkinson emphasized that while representatives connected to data centers have been in the region, no company has presented Granite City with an offer of any kind.

\u201cThere\u2019s been no offer made to the city. There\u2019s nothing in the works for us to negotiate,\u201d he said. \u201cAll I did was prepare everybody, because if we don\u2019t get on top of these things and someone buys land that\u2019s already zoned for it, they can put it in and we have no recourse.\u201d

Why the City Is Acting Now.
The mayor explained that the city is proactively reviewing zoning and drafting ordinances not because a project is coming, but because Granite City must be prepared before any company, data center or otherwise, shows interest.

The goal is simple: protect residents from the very issues they\u2019re worried about, including:
Excessive noise
Bright lighting
Air or soil pollution
Industrial disturbances near neighborhoods

The Planning Commission is currently reviewing these issues so the city can establish firm standards before any proposal ever reaches the negotiation stage.

Learning From Past Mistakes.
Parkinson pointed to Air Products as a clear example of why Granite City must act early.

\u201cIf the city had put zoning in place like we\u2019re trying to do now, we wouldn\u2019t be dealing with those loud noises twenty\u2011four hours a day when that pressure valve goes off,\u201d he said.

He noted that other factories in town have created similar concerns, concerns that could have been prevented if stronger protections had existed when those facilities were first approved.

A Commitment to Transparency.
The mayor stressed repeatedly that all discussions, if they ever occur, will be public.

\u201cWhen we have an offer or negotiations, we will have public meetings,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not entering into contracts behind anybody\u2019s back. We\u2019re doing everything in public.\u201d

He urged residents not to rely on Facebook rumors for information.

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to negotiate things on Facebook. That\u2019s not how it works. Attend the public meetings. Come listen to the data. Let these folks do the job they were elected to do.\u201d

If a Proposal Comes, It Must Benefit the Community.
Parkinson made it clear that Granite City will not accept any project, data center or otherwise, unless it meets strict standards and provides real value to taxpayers.

\u201cIf a data center comes calling and we can\u2019t fix the problems or it\u2019s not worth the money to the taxpayers, then we won\u2019t do it,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the juice isn\u2019t worth the squeeze, we won\u2019t do it. That\u2019s the bottom line.\u201d

A Call for Patience.
The mayor closed by asking residents to stay calm while the city does its due diligence.

\u201cThey\u2019re here, they\u2019re looking around, but no offer has been made,\u201d he said. \u201cAll we\u2019re doing right now is putting protections in place so that if we ever do get an offer, we\u2019re ready.”<\/p>\n\n\n

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