SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio — A proposed $1 billion data center in Franklin Furnace is inching closer to breaking ground after state environmental regulators cleared a key permitting milestone this week.
The Ohio EPA confirmed that a wetlands permit application tied to the project — internally known as “Project Dazzler” — is now administratively complete, allowing the agency to begin its formal technical review. Regulators have up to 180 days to act on the application.
The permit was filed by Tilted Gate LLC, the Delaware-based development entity tied to the project.
The proposed development would span roughly 1.7 million square feet across a 792-acre property east of the Ohio River in Green Township, including two data center buildings, support facilities, access roads, stormwater infrastructure, and an electrical substation.
Scioto County commissioners have agreed to a 75% property tax abatement for 15 years, with the developer paying a base of $500,000 annually in lieu of taxes. Commissioners also secured a commitment that local contractors and trade unions would be used during construction.
The wetlands permit is one of several regulatory hurdles the project must clear before construction can begin. Ohio EPA can request additional information during its review, and inadequate responses could delay or deny approval.
The project’s first phase would create approximately 50 permanent jobs, along with a larger number of temporary construction positions.
This is a developing story.