LORDSTOWN, Ohio - Lordstown Village Council is scheduled to hold the third reading tonight on legislation to ban data centers, which could halt a $3.6 billion artificial intelligence project.

The proposed ban has been placed on the council agenda for emergency passage, a designation that could allow for a final vote at the meeting.

The move to ban data centers comes as Bristolville 25 Developer LLC seeks to build a new AI data center on a plot of land that sits primarily within the village limits.

Drawings for the project show multiple buildings that would constitute a $3.6 billion investment in the area. Developers have touted the economic benefits of the facility, which they say would create 120 jobs with an hourly wage of nearly $84.

Beyond the direct job creation and investment, Bristolville is offering significant contributions to the village's infrastructure and community funds.

The developer has promised to contribute $10.8 million toward water infrastructure upgrades and to start a community fund.

Village officials, however, have expressed concerns regarding the impact on residents. Mayor Jaclyn Woodward has expressed concerns over the effect the light and noise from the center would have on the residential quality of life.

Mayor Woodward spoke out against the developer’s financial offers, saying the village does not "want businesses coming into the village that are going to try to bribe us into letting them into the village just to make the residents miserable". She previously said that growth is acceptable only if "it doesn’t come at an expense to the residents".

Cary Snyder, an attorney from Taft Law representing Bristolville, sent a letter earlier to all village officials asserting that the village council had not followed proper procedure to enact the ban.

The law firm formally argued to the village solicitor that the proposed prohibition qualifies as a zoning ordinance under Ohio law. Zoning ordinances require a public hearing and 30-day notice before a vote can be held, a process which the developer contends was not followed.

Mayor Woodward acknowledged the developer's letter, stating she is reviewing its contents and plans to meet with the village solicitor to determine the village’s next steps. "We’re going to be looking to him to figure out whether or not we need to be following some sort of different guidelines than the village has always followed before," Woodward said.

The project's supporters are urging caution. Guy Coviello, President and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, cautioned the village not to rush a decision. He encouraged the council to table the legislation to "allow time to explore the issue with experts" and ensure the legislation "doesn’t pass... that has unintended consequences on its residents".

Coviello previously called the proposal a "brain gainer for the community," adding, "these are the kinds of things we’ve been wanting here for a long, long time".

Trumbull County Commissioner Rick Hernandez called the matter "a slippery slope," emphasizing that while resident concerns must be addressed, the village should ensure it follows the law if procedural issues exist.

The Bristolville 25 project is separate from another data center proposal, known as the Stargate project, that another company is attempting to place on a different piece of land in the same area.