McDonald Ohio

 

SUMMARY BOTH PROJECTS HERE ETC

 Bottom line — September 2, 2026

Two separate Trumbull County projects:

  1. McDonald: A still-conceptual redevelopment of the former McDonald Steel/U.S. Steel industrial property. Oppidan Connect is the newest publicly identified interested developer, but no site plan, purchase agreement, conditional-use application, or project approval has been publicly reported.
  2. Niles/Weathersfield: Bitdeer owns the former Ohio Edison/Niles Generating Station property and continues to list a 300-megawatt data-center project for it. Local permitting remains unresolved and both Niles and Weathersfield adopted temporary moratoriums.

1. McDonald project and recent discussions

Proposed site and scale

The proposal concerns the former McDonald Steel property around 100 Ohio Avenue. A November 2025 report described AP McDonald LLC as owning approximately 52 acres and pursuing a larger assemblage—including Larry’s Truck & Electric and U.S. Steel property—that could total about 350 acres. Early figures suggested a potentially $1 billion campus of one to two million square feet. Those were developer estimates, not an approved plan. Business Journal, November 2025

In April 2026, Applied Partners’ Mike Cenit discussed an even larger concept: approximately 2.5 million square feet in nine buildings, with roughly 400 construction workers during a five-year buildout and 70–80 permanent jobs. Again, no end user or formal site plan had been disclosed. Business Journal, April 2026

What Village officials have officially said

The public record shows the project remains preliminary:

  • On April 22, Mayor Ray Lewis said the property had not been sold, AP McDonald was still salvaging material and seeking an end user, and “nothing has been submitted.” April 22 council minutes
  • On May 20, Lewis disclosed meetings with several potential end users, including two data-center developers. He said there was no purchase, site plan, or nondisclosure agreement. He also said the Village had been drafting zoning protections for approximately 18 months because existing conditional-use provisions contained little data-center-specific regulation. May 20 council minutes
  • On June 4, Lewis, Councilman Brian Bosheff and zoning-board member Tom Colarich toured data centers in New Albany through Lake to River Economic Development. Their subsequent comments emphasized noise, water, electricity, tax revenue and the need for local regulatory “guardrails.” June 17 council minutes and Tribune Chronicle coverage
  • On July 15, residents asked for a one-year moratorium and public planning process. Lewis rejected the moratorium approach but discussed a community-benefit agreement, locally controlled/off-grid power and a possible municipal utility structure. July 15 council minutes
  • On August 19, Lewis identified Oppidan as a prospective developer with which he had communicated since July. He said there was still no submitted site plan. More than 75 people reportedly attended. An Oppidan public forum was announced for September 15 at McDonald High School; I did not locate an officially published time. Tribune Chronicle, August 2026 and Oppidan Connect company page

Current procedural status

No final development agreement, rezoning, data-center ordinance, moratorium, conditional-use approval or site-plan approval appears in the published record. The anticipated process is:

  1. Developer submits a site plan/application.
  2. Planning Commission reviews and votes.
  3. Council considers the recommendation and any necessary legislation.

The Planning Commission is developing proposed standards, but a final text or council vote has not been published.

2. Who is organizing or publicly opposing the plans?

Resident-led opposition, but no verified incorporated group or formally named organization.

 ========= 

McDonald residents packed a village council meeting on August 19, 2026, to voice strong concerns regarding a potential data center development by a company named Appidan at the former McDonald Steel site. [1, 2]

Key Resident Concerns

  • Zoning and Rules: Residents questioned if current village zoning laws even allow data centers, with some arguing existing language prohibits them. [1, 2]
  • Environmental & Health Impacts: Concerns were raised regarding diesel generator emissions, tonal noise, and the need for any developer to fully clean up severe brownfield contamination from past steel operations. [1]
  • Property Values: Homeowners worried that property values would drop and indicated they might sell their homes if the project moves forward. [1]
  • Tax and Moratorium Issues: Citizens noted that lost personal property taxes from the old steel site would not be replaced by a data center, and many pushed the council to enact a temporary construction moratorium to properly evaluate regulations, unlike neighboring communities. [1, 2]

Next Steps

  • Status: Nothing has been officially confirmed or approved regarding the data center project.
  • Upcoming Meeting: A follow-up public meeting with the development company, council, administration, and residents is scheduled for September 15, 2026. [1, 2, 3]


WKBN.com·Preferred

Residents voice concerns about potential McDonald data center

“As it sits right now, without any change in language, data centers should not exist in our village. They do not meet the criteria...

YouTube·WKBN27

Residents voice concerns about potential McDonald data center

well good evening. and thank you for joining us tonight i'm Kyle Wills the debate over data centers continues here locally. commun...


YouTube·WFMJ

McDonald residents address council over data center concerns

and they want to be a part of the conversation. themselves helping to make decisions for the village. mcdonald residents came out ...

2m

As of late August 2026, McDonald’s zoning books do not contain any language or criteria regarding data centers. Because of this blank canvas, the village planning commission is actively researching data centers to craft new guidelines, ordinances, and restrictions. [1, 2]

Current status of the proposed changes and what to expect for the upcoming September meeting.

The Status of Proposed Zoning Changes

The underlying tension between McDonald residents and village officials comes down to how the current laws should be interpreted and updated:

  • The Current Zoning Blindspot: Mayor Ray Lewis confirmed that because data centers are entirely missing from the current zoning code, the McDonald Planning Commission must first research them, draft fresh guidelines, and make a formal recommendation to the village council. [1, 2]
  • The Resident Stance: Many vocal residents argue that since data centers aren't explicitly listed as a permitted use right now, they effectively "should not exist" or be allowed in the village without strict new protections. [1, 2]
  • Targeted Ordinance Demands: Residents are not trying to completely block development but want the new zoning laws to explicitly restrict diesel generator emissions and tonal noise, while legally binding any developer to fully remediate the heavily contaminated former U.S. Steel brownfield site. [1]
  • The Push for a Moratorium: Citizens are heavily pressuring the council to pass a temporary construction moratorium. This would legally freeze any data center applications to "buy time" while the planning commission finishes writing the new zoning laws. [1, 2, 4]

Tracking the September 15 Meeting

The meeting scheduled for September 15, 2026, will shift the responsibility from the village council directly onto the developer. [, 2]

  • The Format: Mayor Lewis stated that he instructed the developer—Minnesota-based real estate firm Oppidan (previously misidentified in some initial reports as Apodan)—that it is their responsibility to explain their vision directly to the community. The meeting will be structured as an open forum where residents can ask questions directly to company representatives. [1, 4]
  • What is Being Tracked: Specific logistical details (such as the exact hour and building location) have not yet been made public. Local coverage from outlets like the Tribune Chronicle / TribToday and WKBN will publish the venue details as the date approaches. [, 3]
  • Official Public Hearings: The September 15 meeting is an informational forum run by the developer. Once the Planning Commission finishes its draft on data center rules, the village will schedule separate, formal public zoning hearings before any changes are officially voted into law. [, 2, 3]

WKBN.com·Preferred

Residents voice concerns about potential McDonald data center

Many were optimistic about a potential data center coming to McDonald, but others questioned whether the village's current zoning ...

WFMJ

McDonald residents address council over data center concerns

The only thing I would say is other places have put a moratorium. I know you're reviewing that, I understand it and I don't even k...

Tribune Chronicle

Data center company will meet with McDonald officials -

He also said the planning commission has been working on information on data centers since there is nothing on them in the village...

 Trumbull County communities have template moratorium ordinances that McDonald residents are using as a reference point, actively pointing to neighboring Trumbull County communities like Girard and Lordstown as their direct reference points. [1] Warren, Hubbard.

Local citizens are using the precedent set by these nearby towns to build their case for a temporary pause. [1, 2]

How Neighboring Precedents Are Being Used

  • The Girard & Lordstown Model: Residents like Elizabeth Johnson have publicly cited that communities like Girard and Lordstown have already enacted successful data center moratoriums. They are presenting these local laws to the McDonald Village Council as proof that a pause is a standard, beneficial tool. [1, 2]
  • The "One-Year Pause" Template: The specific template residents are advocating for is a one-year freeze on development applications. The goal of copying this format is to buy the village planning commission enough time to research, draft, and legally enforce strict data center restrictions before any ground is broken. [1, 2]

The Pushback from Village Leadership

Despite heavy pressure from residents, the McDonald Village Council has intentionally refused to pass a moratorium. [1, 2]

 

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