Maquoketa data center (Jackson County), industrial park south of Maquoketa, Iowa

The City of Maquoketa, in Jackson County, Iowa, ended talks on a data center proposed for 46 acres in the industrial park south of Maquoketa off Highway 61. City leaders and Gronen, the city's development consultant, called off the talks on August 18, 2026, about six weeks after residents packed a city council meeting to object. City Manager Josh Boldt said no solid plan was ever formally presented to the council.

The plan, presented to the council in July, was for a small to mid-sized facility with no end user secured yet and no cryptocurrency mining, on land already zoned heavy industrial. The land could have sold for $25,000 an acre, and city officials said the unnamed developer sought no incentives and would pay for any infrastructure upgrades. "We have no local incentives in this agreement," Boldt told residents, saying a data center would add hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to city, county and school budgets strained by inflation.

Dozens of residents filled the council chambers to object. "I think when people think of Maquoketa, a data center is not going to be on the list of positives for us," said Forrest Grey. Angie Petit Lichter of the county conservation board asked: "My main concern is when you project this long term, 20 years from now, how many people are they expecting to employ?"

"Maquoketa can think bigger and more creatively, and Maquoketa can choose a better future for our people," said Marie Young. When the talks ended, officials said no city staff member or council member had signed a nondisclosure agreement.

The land remains available for other development, Boldt said. Council members and staff plan to review the rules for the heavy industrial district, including for data centers, so the city is ready for future proposals. Boldt said it remains likely that other developers will approach the city with similar proposals. The council has not set a date for that review.