Port Washington data center, companies host community conversation

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. - The three companies behind a massive data center campus in Port Washington invited the public to an open house Thursday night.

The companies said it is their intent to be a good neighbor in building and operating Project Lighthouse, just as a former AI researcher accused the top companies of "gambling with our lives."

About Project Lighthouse

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High-ranking executives from Vantage Data Centers, the company building that campus, and Oracle, one of the companies that will work there, were present to meet with the public. They said this has been part of their community engagement plan all along.

When it is done, the $15 billion project rising by the day just west of I-43 will have four data centers covering 2.5 million square feet. Project Lighthouse will be operated by Oracle and OpenAI with 1,000 permanent jobs.

Just this week, a former OpenAI researcher accused the company of recklessly racing toward superintelligence. Pair that with concerns over water, power, light usage, and sound pollution, the companies are actively trying to prove they will not hurt this community.

"Not all data centers are equal. We want to be part of the community. This is not just a construction project contemporary. We will be here many, many years, and so, we're excited to be part of the community of Port Washington," said Misty Allen, Vantage vice president of public policy.

What they're saying:

"It's part of being a good neighbor and, by my definition, responsible data center building is bringing along the neighbors, bringing along the community and having an open dialogue about what we can work on together," said Beatrice Fullen, Oracle vice president of community engagement.

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Employees working in construction, sustainability, tech, and community engagement met with those that came through the open house Thursday night at Inventors Brewpub.

Open house

What we know:

Organizers did not allow members of the press to be on the floor during the open house, though they let us record and see some of the posters and other hand-out materials beforehand.

After, FOX6 News spoke with those who live in Port Washington and attended the open house.

Nearly everyone, including Marj Sontag, said nothing they heard or saw changed their mind on the project.

Sontag lives just across the street from the construction site.

What they're saying:

"It's so loud. We can't open our windows. We can't let our... Our house is 125 years old. It has been cooled by the lake for 125 years. Now, it has air conditioning because it's so dusty, we can't open our windows. And because it's so loud, we can't open our windows and doors," Sontag said.

The tech giants point to the work they have done and will do to improve life in the area.

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They donated $250,000 to the local education foundation. They are even offering free car washes again this Saturday for drivers dealing with the dust.

Still, people living in Port Washington aren't sure that's helping.

"To me, it sounds like they're trying to buy people's loyalty. I don't know. My life hasn't gotten better with it. I hope, I hope that it turns on and that it's doable and that I can live there. I don't know if I'll be able to sell my house. If we wait too long, and it turns on, and it is really loud, what am I gonna be able to sell it for," Sontag said.

Project Lighthouse is supposed to be finished and operational in 2028.

Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Sam Kraemer and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.

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