Press release from Alderperson Matthew Crowe on data center development

Regarding the annexation and rezoning of county lands, as well as the potential future development of a data center.

On Monday, August 4, 2025, the Menomonie City Council voted with a 2/3 majority for annexation and rezoning of 324 acres of county lands off CTH B from 690th Avenue to 650th Avenue. This vote, required by law, came to fruition because the landowners of the Town of Red Cedar unanimously asked to be annexed into the City of Menomonie and rezoned from agriculture (AG) to Industrial I-1. From the official filing of the request to annex, the City was, by law, required to act on the petition within 120 days. The first step in the process was approval from the Plan Commission. After much discussion and review of the petition, Menomonie’s Plan Commission voted unanimously (7-0) in favor of the annexation and rezoning.

The second step in the process was consideration for approval from the Menomonie City Council on August 4, 2025. Passage required a 2/3 majority, or eight votes from the eleven Alderpersons. A public hearing was set for the beginning of the meeting. The public hearing had great dialogue from local Menomonie residents and the surrounding area. The speakers expressed the pros and cons, support, and opposition to the annexation and rezoning. Much of the opposition expressed concern for the data center over the actual annexation and rezoning. After the public hearing concluded, I voiced my position to the council that this vote is only focused on the annexation and rezoning, not the data center. The two are not tied together and are not contingent on one another. In fact, the two cannot be contingent on each other. It is true that the petition for rezoning has an intended purpose for a potential data center.

There are several steps in the process after annexation and rezoning, including water, sewer, infrastructure, and development agreements. There are several instances where the petition for rezoning is approved, and the intended purpose of the petition falls through. I expressed that this council could approve each step, and the end user could still decide to take their business elsewhere. Therefore, annexation and rezoning are a stand-alone step in this process.

I voted yes on annexation and rezone of this land to increase the city’s footprint in the industrial park, and this fits into the city’s comprehensive plan from 2016. As a member of the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC), I am focused on, and a strong advocate, for economic development. DCEDC has received several requests for information (RFI’s) from developers. The City of Menomonie must turn down these requests since we don’t meet the criteria for the developer, specifically, regarding land usage. The current industrial park only has 72 acres of continuous land. This vote increased the footprint to attract future developers.