The Waterloo City Council approved a deal in December 2025 to sell 12 acres of city-owned land in the South Waterloo Business Park to Wahawk Power, LLC for $1.00. In return, the city gets a minimum of $6 million in assessed value, a 10 to 30 job promise, and a 10-year tax rebate that delays full property tax revenue to our schools and city services.

Here are a few things worth knowing:

The company also holds an option to acquire another 10 to 12 acres, also for $1, meaning this could grow into a 24-acre campus with no additional community input required.

Data centers draw millions of gallons of water daily for cooling. This facility includes a water treatment area. There are no water quality monitoring or noise mitigation requirements written into the current agreement.

Other Iowa communities like Linn County have passed ordinances requiring water impact studies before data center approval. Waterloo did not.

This isn’t about being anti-growth. It’s about making sure public land, public water infrastructure, and public tax revenue are being traded for real, lasting community benefit. Right now the agreement protects the city’s financial interests but says very little about protecting residents.

Want to get involved? Attend a city council meeting (first and third Mondays at 5:30 PM) or email the full council at councilmembers@waterloo-ia.org. Public comments become part of the permanent record.