WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WIS. (WITH EXCERPTS FROM WPR.ORG) Once Wisconsin’s largest paper mill, a century-old facility in Wisconsin Rapids closed in 2020. In 2021 it became the focus of “Rapid Renewal,” a proposed plan for recovery and redevelopment developed by Vandewalle & Associates. After the facility owner’s attempts to restart the mill or find a buyer failed, it was torn down in 2025. Now the city is considering a new proposal for the 220-acre site: a data center.
Residents have expressed concern that the land has only been open for development for a year and that other options for the site have not yet been exhausted. Residents have also expressed a preference for a use that will create a large number of permanent local jobs.
Positioned on the banks of the Wisconsin River, it is an attractive and advantageous site: with connections to rail, electric, roads and other grids.
The local planning commission has a discussion on its agenda for reviewing zoning ordinances for data center land use, now scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School auditorium.
On their website, the city of Wisconsin Rapids said staff is still reviewing the project and gathering information.“The City has not entered into any legal or financial partnership with any private business pursuing a data center project,” Wisconsin Rapids wrote on its website. The City also states there are no current nondisclosure agreements over potential projects.
The City had taken some proactive steps earlier this year. After increased interest in the site from the data center industry, the City created an ordinance amendment about data centers, and the planning commission began discussing regulations.
Meanwhile, the city of Wisconsin Rapids created an ordinance amendment about data centers, and the planning commission began discussing regulations for data centers in March.
The city’s data center ordinance requires any future data center to be inside the industrial district of the mill site, according to the city. It limits how close the property can be to homes, water systems, discharging material and electric usage.