City Council to vote on ComEd substation for Facebook data center

By Kierra Frazier

DeKALB – DeKalb City Council is set to vote on an ordinance for a ComEd substation for the future Facebook data center at Monday night’s meeting.

Council members will vote on the amended development plan for the data center, 2050 E. Gurler Road, at 6 p.m. Monday at the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St., in the Yusunas Meeting Room, or via Zoom.

The proposed substation will be located southwest of the data hall at the southeast portion of the property. The intent is to create a separate lot for the ComEd Substation, according to the Jan. 25 City Council agenda.  

The plan also includes a small right-of-way at the southeast corner of Route 23 and Gurler Road and an additional right-of-way to accommodate the Peace Road and Gurler Road roundabout.

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the substation Tuesday with a vote of seven to zero, according to the agenda. 

In June, it was announced Facebook would be constructing a 907,000 square foot data center in DeKalb as its 12th data center in the country. Facebook invested $800 million into the data center, and the company will offer about 100 operational jobs and hundreds of construction jobs. 

Adoption of the 2019 DeKalb County All Hazards Mitigation Plan

Council members will also vote on a resolution Monday on the 2019 DeKalb County All Hazards Mitigation Plan, as the 2013 plan has expired. 

The plan, which has been under review for the past 16 to 18 months, sets forth priorities and protocols for preparing for and responding to major hazards in the region, according to the agenda. 

The mitigation plan is used in cases of natural disasters such as floods or tornadoes, as well as infrastructure failure, mass cyberattacks and catastrophic accidents such as a train derailment, according to the agenda.

The plan has also been reviewed and recommended for adoption by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and is intended to be in effect for five years.