Data centers in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin: 2 projects mapped

Imagery: Esri, Maxar

Port Washington held the first anti-data-center referendum in the United States and passed it with about 66 percent of the vote on April 7, 2026. The measure does not ban anything; it requires voter approval before the city creates any tax incremental financing district worth more than $10 million, the usual way these projects get financed. It followed anger that the city had approved a district for Vantage's Lighthouse campus, a $15 billion project on 647 acres now under construction, without a public vote.

A grassroots group called Great Lakes Neighbors United gathered a thousand signatures to put the measure on the ballot. It had no effect on Lighthouse, which was already approved and being built; it changes every deal after it, since an incentive now has to survive an election rather than a council vote. The Badger Institute has argued that putting incentives to referendum could stall development statewide, but the group that led the campaign calls the result a win for public participation rather than a defeat for the data center.

Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.