Dubai-based Damac Digital Solutions is pressing ahead with a data center project in Edgerton, Kansas, after local councilors overrode the planning commission's refusal of planning permission.

After approving the initial project plans, the Edgerton Planning Commission denied Damac’s final site plan after the company failed to answer questions about noise levels and future expansion plans.

Local residents had also raised concerns around the development, specifically its impact on water and land.

However, in a special meeting on July 16, local news reports that city councilors overrode the Edgerton Planning Commission’s denial. Public comment was not permitted at the meeting.

The City of Edgerton has published a frequently asked questions (FAQs) page about the project on its website, where it describes periods of “increased activity” near the building site during construction, but said the developer is committed to being a “considerate neighbor.”

The page says the data center will use advanced cooling technology to minimize water consumption and will have dedicated power infrastructure funded by the developer, with no direct impact on the power supply or costs.

On noise, the FAQs say that construction noise will meet or exceed local codes, and that the facility is being designed with “strict attention to noise management.”

They also say that the development will bring jobs to the local area, including construction and technician roles, and that these will be open and available to local residents.

Damac Digital Solutions is the data center arm of UAE property conglomerate Damac.

Formerly known as Edgenex, Damac Digital Solutions was founded in 2021 by Hussain Sajwani and began operations with a 12MW campus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The company says it operates across more than 12 countries with a portfolio of more than 25 data centers and more than 4GW of planned capacity.

In January last year, US President Donald Trump said the parent company, Damac, would be investing at least $20 billion in US data centers. Damac said it would deliver data centers totaling 2GW of capacity by 2029.