Upper Merion Residents Oppose Massive Data Center Proposal

Executive Summary: On May 27, 2026, the Upper Merion Township Planning Commission held a meeting that drew more than 1,000 residents opposed to a massive data center development proposed by MLP Ventures. Developer Brian O’Neill is seeking approval for a cluster of facilities totaling more than 4.6 million square feet — nearly double the size of the King of Prussia Mall.

While the developer has emphasized projected tax revenue and educational funding benefits, residents raised intense concerns about environmental impacts, public health, noise, water and energy use, and the developer’s fiscal track record.

Overview of the Proposed Development

The proposal from King of Prussia-based MLP Ventures involves five agenda items for a data center cluster across multiple sites in Upper Merion Township.

• Total scale: More than 4.6 million square feet
• Key locations: Horizon Drive, Renaissance Boulevard, River Road, including 600 River Road, and Swedeland Road
• Developer classification: MLP Ventures argues that data centers are consistent with laboratories and warehouses
• Infrastructure claims: Brian O’Neill says the facilities will use closed-loop systems, “renewable gas,” later clarified as burning natural gas, and will offer excess power back to the electrical grid

Economic Promises and Fiscal Questions

A central part of the developer’s argument is the projected financial benefit to local government and the school system. O’Neill claims the data center cluster would produce:

• A 54% increase in property tax revenue for Upper Merion Township
• A 28% increase in property tax revenue for the Upper Merion Area School District
• An annual contribution of $7,817 per child toward education

However, Township Tax Collector Evelyn Ankers challenged the reliability of those promises. She identified Innovation Labs LLC, an O’Neill enterprise, as a “significant delinquent taxpayer” in 2023 and 2024. Approximately $2 million in delinquent taxes were reportedly paid in 2025 following a refinance.

As of May 2026, the entity was delinquent on 2025 taxes and had paid nothing toward 2026 taxes. Ankers suggested that the most effective way for the developer to increase public revenue would be to pay existing taxes rather than promise future gains.

Community Opposition and Environmental Concerns

The public hearing was marked by high tensions, including chants of “the people united will never be defeated” and shouts of “we can’t drink data.” Residents voiced concerns about the transformation of their community into an industrial zone.

Key Environmental and Health Concerns

• High energy usage
• High water consumption
• Potential chemical emissions
• Burning natural gas to power the facilities
• Noise, heat, and vibration from high-density equipment

Warehouse or Power Plant?

A major dispute centered on how the facilities should be categorized. O’Neill maintained that the proposed data centers have the “same general character” as warehouses or laboratories.

But Zac Davis of the Environmental Advisory Council described the facilities as “power plants with hard drives” being proposed “under the guise of warehouses.” Planning Commission members also questioned how a facility could be considered a warehouse if it is designed to sell power back to the grid.

Regulatory and Regional Context

Critical Takeaways and Next Steps

The Upper Merion Township Planning Commission signaled that it needs significantly more information before making a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

• Information deficit: Chairman Matt Popek said township staff had been requesting specific data for months that had not yet been provided.
• Transparency concerns: Attendees raised Sunshine Act concerns due to overcrowding and poor audio that prevented overflow crowds from hearing the proceedings.
• Community resolve: Resident testimony was overwhelmingly negative, with some residents saying the project would turn the area into a “wasteland” and others vowing to “fight tooth and nail.”

Bottom Line

The Upper Merion data center controversy reflects a growing regional conflict over how Pennsylvania communities should regulate massive energy-intensive facilities. Developers are promising tax revenue, but residents are demanding answers about pollution, power generation, water use, transparency, and whether these projects fit the character of their communities.