The Tax Incremental District (TID) data center complex was recently unanimously approved by the Port Washington Common Council, despite vocal opposition from the local community. This $15 billion data center will be incrementally financed by TID developer Vantage Data Centers, which is set to pay $175 million for infrastructure upgrades, including sewer and water main extensions and a road overhaul.
Oracle and OpenAI are just two of the new site users expected to utilize TID as part of the Stargate Program, a $500 billion nationwide motion to grow AI. Over 100 people showed up at the Port Washington council meeting the day the TID motion was to be approved, stating they were for Port Washington growth, but in a way that champions small businesses and projects rather than draining them.
Although staunchly opposed by the community, the new TID complex is set to create more than 4,000 construction jobs. Local construction businesses have voiced support for the new project. This Stargate program, announced by the Trump administration in January of 2025, will bring 700 jobs from both OpenAI and Oracle through this expansion. Vantage Data Centers will also have roughly 330 new employees working at the four-center complex.
Vantage will foot the upfront infrastructure improvement costs, and the initial revenue generated by TID will repay the company. TID will either remain open for up to 20 years or until Vantage is paid in full, whichever comes first.
During a recent council meeting, Port Washington Mayor Ted Nietzke IV stated, “Vantage is putting all the capital up front for all of the infrastructure. We pay them back. If they fail, the project stops—we are not obligated to pay that debt back.”
The TID will comprise four data center buildings, requiring a combined 1.3 gigawatts of electricity. American Transmission Co. has proposed a $1.4 billion transmission line project to support the energy demands. Once completed, TID could require up to 3.5 gigawatts of electricity, according to an analysis by Clean Wisconsin. The analysis also stated that the off-site water use would be at least 54 million gallons per day.
Vantage, however, has stated that the new TID will use a “closed-loop liquid cooling system” designed to need and use less water than a traditional data center would. According to Vantage, TID is expected to break ground in November 2025, with completion in 2028.
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