Rochelle City Council votes 5-2 to again deny data center development agreement

The Rochelle City Council voted 5-2 on Nov. 9 to again deny a data center development agreement with Midwest Power Investors. Voting to deny the data center agreement were Mayor John Bearrows and City Council members Rosaelia Arteaga, Ben Valdivieso and Kate Shaw-Dickey. City Council members Tom McDermott and Dan McDermott voted to approve the agreement. The data center would have been located north of Steward Road, west of the BNSF Railroad and south of Interstate 88 on industrial-zoned land. The city has been working on the agreement with Midwest Power Investors since early 2025 and held a public informational meeting regarding the data center in November 2025. The council previously denied another development agreement in April. The developers had been working with the city since then to modify the agreement to satisfy council members’ concerns. Council members spoke their views on the data center agreement during the meeting. Arteaga expressed a desire to protect the community and