Canton Data Center Project Faces Public Scrutiny at July 14 Forum

Canton residents will get their first formal chance to question a major data center project on July 14, when Dubai-based DAMAC Digital hosts a public forum at the Edward Peel Coleman Community Center, 1400 Sherrick Road SE, starting at 6 p.m.

The meeting matters to neighbors in southeast Canton because the proposed facility would occupy more than 80 acres northeast of Trump Avenue SE and Orchard View Drive SE. DAMAC Digital, a global digital infrastructure company, will display facility layouts and take community input during the session. Residents who cannot attend can submit questions through the project website at orchardviewdata.com.

Canton Mayor William V. Sherer II framed the event as a civic obligation. “We’re looking forward to working with DAMAC to educate our community about its upcoming project and what that looks like for the City of Canton,” Sherer said. “We’re committed to being transparent and encourage residents to come ask questions, learn about the project, and be part of the conversation.”

The questions residents bring will not be trivial ones. Canton City Council is currently revising its zoning regulations to address noise, utility usage, and other concerns specific to modern data center operations, with a vote on the updated rules scheduled for July 27. Building Department officials did not immediately provide any DAMAC plans in response to a public records request, a gap that has sharpened community scrutiny.

What changed: this project would be the third hyperscale facility under construction in Stark County. Bitdeer operates a 221-megawatt crypto mining facility in Massillon that is partially operational and expected to be completed by fall. A 240-megawatt Amazon data center is currently under construction in Perry Township, south of Faircrest Street SW. The pace of development has outrun the county’s existing regulatory framework.

According to DAMAC’s presentation materials, the Canton facility will include two highly efficient buildings and a substation designed to power artificial intelligence and cloud technology infrastructure. Construction will require hundreds of skilled trade workers, and the completed facility will employ at least 60 full-time staff members. The company has committed to fully funding the power infrastructure necessary for its operations.

Water use is among the concerns residents have raised at similar meetings elsewhere in the region. DAMAC says its cooling system will operate as a closed-loop design using municipal water mixed with propylene glycol, a low-toxicity fluid the FDA recognizes as safe for use in food products. The liquid circulates through a sealed system similar to a car’s radiator, with fans providing cooling. Propylene glycol also appears in deicing solutions, medicines, and cosmetics. Each building will require less than 1 million gallons of water for the one-time startup mixture, the company says.

DAMAC received a demolition permit for residential structures on the property earlier this year. The company has not disclosed the total investment amount or the facility’s precise size, and messages seeking additional comment went unanswered.

C. Stephen MacKenzie, president and CEO of the Stark Economic Development Board, pointed to the county’s infrastructure history as a reason for optimism. “Stark County has historically benefited from its strong infrastructure, which led to generational economic growth and stability,” MacKenzie said. “Building a digital foundation in Stark County permits us to be competitive in today’s emerging industries and embrace future opportunities.”

DAMAC Group founder Hussain Sajwani, in a news release issued July 9, connected the project to Canton’s manufacturing identity. “Canton has a proud history of building things that matter, and we want to continue that tradition responsibly,” Sajwani said. “The Canton Orchard View project is a way for DAMAC Digital to be a supportive and transparent neighbor. By combining our development experience with eco-friendly design, we are proud to invest in Canton’s future while carefully safeguarding the local resources and quality of life that residents value most.”

Community response across the region has been mixed. Residents have packed recent government meetings in Perry Township and Canton, with most expressing opposition or calling for caution. Trade groups have shown support, citing benefits to local tax revenue and employment.

Canton resident Christine Gingerich, who lives just under four miles from the proposed Orchard View site, has been gathering signatures for the Conserve Ohio initiative, which seeks to ban new data centers exceeding 25 megawatts. The organization initially targeted the November ballot for a statewide measure but is now aiming for 2027 to collect the required signatures.

Gingerich has reviewed the project website and says she appreciates the closed-loop cooling design, but her doubts persist. “It sounds good, and I want to believe the developers,” she said. “I do have some concerns. They want to have safeguards, but how do we know it’s true?” She has called on officials to research data center impacts in other communities before approving local projects.

“We just want transparency and accountability with our officials,” Gingerich said.

Whether the July 14 forum answers that call, or deepens the questions surrounding it, may depend on how much detail DAMAC Digital is willing to put on the table in front of its future neighbors.