Data Center Census

Waverly, Sangamon County, IL

CyrusOne Sangamon County Data Center

Also known as CyrusOne Waverly data center, CyrusOne Springfield data center

ApprovedCounty Board approved zoning April 7, 2026; residents' lawsuit challenging approval pending in circuit court
  1. Rumored
  2. Proposed
  3. Approved
  4. Under construction
  5. Operating

Dallas-based CyrusOne plans a $500 million data center campus on 280 acres of farmland at Thayer and Clark roads in Talkington Township, about 14 miles southwest of Springfield near Waverly. The Sangamon County Board approved the zoning 17-10 on April 7, 2026, after tabling it in March; nearby residents sued in July 2026 to overturn the approval.

Key facts

Size & schedule

Planned capacity634 MW [2]
per March 2026 plans; earlier reported as 600 MW [1][4]
Site size280 acres [4]
Floor area1.8 million sq ft [2]
Buildings4 [2]
four 450,000 sq ft buildings per March 2026 plans; originally six 250,000 sq ft buildings [1]
Stated investment$500 million [4]
Permanent jobs (promised)100 [2]
approximately; average $83,000 salary
Construction jobs500 [4]

Power

UtilityAmeren Illinois / Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative [1]
Power supplyGrid, with 420 diesel backup generators [2]

Water

Water use2,800 gal/day [2]
for restrooms and humidification; about 280,000 gallons of recirculated water trucked in
Water sourceApple Creek Water Cooperative [2]
Coolingair-cooled, closed-loop [1]

Money & incentives

Tax incentivesState Data Center Investment Program incentives of at least $31.25 million; 20-year state incentive MOU signed May 20, 2026 [6] [5]
Payments / community benefitsCyrusOne commitment of more than $15 million for local schools, workforce training, fire districts, youth programs, economic development and infrastructure [8]
Source excerpt
“CyrusOne has committed more than $15 million in support of: Local school districts and educational programs. Workforce training, apprenticeship and career development initiatives. Regional fire districts and emergency response agencies.”

Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.

Lawsuits

Waverly residents v. Sangamon County and Sangamon County Boardpending [6]
Nearby residents seek to overturn the county's approval of the CyrusOne data center, alleging it fails ordinance standards and conflicts with the comprehensive plan; CyrusOne is named as a necessary party.
Illinois circuit court (Circuit Judge Adam Giganti) · filed Jul 6, 2026
Source excerpt
“Several Waverly residents who live approximately a mile or less from the site recently approved for the CyrusOne data center filed a lawsuit against Sangamon County and the Sangamon County Board July 6 seeking to overturn the county's approval of the project.”

Timeline

  1. CyrusOne proposal for 280-acre Talkington Township campus becomes public [1]

  2. Zoning Board of Appeals votes 5-0 to recommend approval [2]

  3. County Board votes 15-13 to table the conditional use permit [3]

  4. County Board approves zoning 17-10 [4]

  5. CyrusOne signs state incentive MOU requiring $500 million investment by March 2031 [6]

  6. Waverly residents sue Sangamon County in circuit court to overturn the approval [6]

Issues raised

  • Residents raised concerns about diesel generator air and noise pollution, grid strain, utility costs and farmland loss [4]
  • Critics questioned job projections compared with statewide data center hiring [5]
  • Lawsuit alleges the approval conflicts with the comprehensive plan and zoning standards and that the resolution was misdated [6][7]

Sources

  1. First data center in Sangamon County
    Illinois Times · Oct 17, 2025 · news
  2. Data center project moves forward
    Illinois Times · Mar 5, 2026 · news
  3. The Sangamon County Board tables vote on a massive data center
    NPR Illinois · Mar 23, 2026 · news
  4. Sangamon County Board approves a controversial data center project
    NPR Illinois · Apr 7, 2026 · news
  5. Sangamon County approves data center
    Illinois Times · Apr 8, 2026 · news
  6. Residents sue Sangamon County, CyrusOne
    Illinois Times · Jul 16, 2026 · news
  7. Residents sue to stop Sangamon County data center
    Illinois Times · Jul 9, 2026 · news
  8. Sangamon County Data Center community FAQ
    CyrusOne · company