Vantage BOE hears request tied to incoming data center

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The data center and its impact on Vantage Career Center was a topic of discussion during Thursday’s Vantage school board meeting.

Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Brent Stevens and Van Wert Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming were at the meeting to explain a planned road extension project that will eventually link Bonnewitz Ave. to Mendon Rd. It would require Vantage giving away some of its existing parking lot on the south side of the campus. If the board agrees to the request, Fleming said a new parking lot would be built at the main campus, one that would include 50 more parking spaces than the current lot has.

“I see this as a huge win for the school, for the community, for future economic development for a bunch of different reasons,” Stevens said of plan to connect Bonnewitz to Mendon. “Now, when the kids leave school they can only go north or south but with this, they would be able to go north, south, east or west.”

It was also noted that in 2029 or 2030, two new roundabouts will be built in the City of Van Wert, with one being part of the Bonnewitz extension. That one will be constructed at the current intersection of Bonnewitz and N. Washington St., while the other will be built just up the street on N. Washington at the U.S. 30 exit ramp.

As far as the data center itself, plans originally called for it to be built on approximately 200 acres of land at the Mega Site, but that could expand to 900 acres. Stevens said it’s expected to be built in phases over a 10-year period and will eventually employ approximately 250 workers. He added construction could begin in the third or fourth quarter of this year. However, while Thor Equities was the buyer of the Mega Site property, Stevens told the board he’s still unable to share the name of the end user.

“I’m not allowed to share that quite yet but we’re getting really close,” Stevens said. “I wanted everybody to know that this project has expanded way beyond our original construct of what we’ve been putting out in media.”

The information presented by Stevens and Fleming was supplemented by a Powerpoint presentation, which allowed the board to see renderings of the pending data center and road extension project.

The board is expected to decide on the parking lot request at its March meeting.