Maquoketa steps back from data center talks, eyes zoning updates for future proposals

Data centers continue to be the topic of conversation on every level of government, and Jackson County is no different.

The City of Maquoketa had been in talks with a developer about potential construction in the city’s industrial park, but on August 18th the city ended those discussions.

City Manager Josh Boldt joined Just Talk to explain the decision, noting that no solid plan was ever formally presented to the city council.

Boldt says the land remains available for other future developments. Boldt also says that the language in the industrial zoning code may need updating to better define where and how any industrial project, especially a data center, could be developed.

While this particular data center conversation has stopped, the broader discussion has not. Boldt says it remains likely that future developers will approach the city with similar proposals, making it important to clearly establish the boundaries any project would need to meet before moving forward.

The full podcast with City Manager Josh Boldt is available by clicking here.