#LewistonME votes down #AI #DataCenter after public outcry
One councilor said the data center proposal for Bates Mill No. 3 yielded ‘by far’ the most public feedback he’s received on a single issue.
“It will house no one, feed no one, provide no beauty, and enrich no one’s lives, only the developer’s pockets. The downtown should be for people, not machines.”
—Jae Zimmermann, Lewiston resident
by Andrew Rice, December 17, 2025
"A plan for placing a $300 million artificial intelligence data center at Lewiston’s Bates Mill complex faced a wave of opposition Tuesday and was unanimously voted down by the City Council.
"Since the proposal to redevelop Bates Mill No. 3 into an 85,000-square-foot data center became public last week, city officials have been flooded with feedback from constituents, with many questioning whether the deal is worth it for Lewiston.
"Before the standing-room-only crowd could even begin public comment Tuesday, councilors said they would vote against the project due to the overwhelming outcry over the weekend and lingering questions about the project.
"The proposal by MillCompute LLC called for developing a 'Tier III' AI data center on two floors of the mill, with the upper two floors becoming 'modern office/innovation space for technology companies' and more.
However, officials have faced questions about the group behind the proposal, a tax deal that’s seen as favorable to the developer, and a storm of concerns over potential utility usage and environmental impacts that mirrors a national debate over the rise of AI data centers."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/US5AR
#MaineResists #MaineResistsAI #AIDatacenters #ArtistsNotAI #ResistAI #ResistDatacenters
