09/03/2026
🚨 NORTH COVENTRY: BEFORE WE SAY YES TO A DATA CENTER, HERE ARE 25 QUESTIONS WE DESERVE ANSWERED.
The cloud isn’t actually in the sky.
It’s made up of physical buildings filled with computers, servers, cooling equipment, networking systems and enormous amounts of electrical infrastructure.
And now a data center is being proposed right here in North Coventry.
I’m not suggesting that technology is bad.
I’m not anti-AI.
I’m not anti-business.
But I do believe residents have the right to understand exactly what is being proposed before a decision is made.
So I started digging.
The current proposal is for approximately 85,987 square feet at 351 W. Schuylkill Road, at the former Coventry Mall/Shoppes at Coventry property.
And one of the biggest questions is:
WHO WILL ACTUALLY USE THIS DATA CENTER?
There is currently no public evidence establishing that this is a ChatGPT/OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta/Facebook or Apple facility.
Those companies use massive data-center infrastructure—but that doesn’t tell us who will use THIS facility.
So let’s ask the questions.
🔎 25 QUESTIONS NORTH COVENTRY RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ASKING
1. Who is the intended customer or end user of this data center?
2. What exactly will the computers inside the facility be used to do?
3. What type of data will be stored, processed or transmitted?
4. What will the facility’s maximum electrical demand be?
5. How much electricity will it consume annually?
6. Who will pay for electrical infrastructure upgrades required by the facility?
7. Could those costs ultimately affect other utility customers?
8. Where will the facility’s electricity come from?
9. Will renewable or other non-emitting energy be used, and what does that actually mean for this facility?
10. What type of cooling system will be installed?
11. How many gallons of water will the facility use per day?
12. What will its maximum water demand be during peak conditions?
13. Will potable drinking water be used for cooling?
14. Where will the facility’s water come from?
15. What happens to its wastewater?
16. What happens to its water consumption during a drought or water emergency?
17. How many backup generators will be installed?
18. What fuel will those generators use and what emissions will they produce?
19. How frequently will the generators be tested or operated?
20. What will the facility sound like 24 hours a day—especially at night?
21. What independent noise, air-quality, water and environmental studies will be conducted?
22. What happens during a major emergency, prolonged power outage or equipment failure?
23. Which federal, state and local agencies will inspect and regulate the facility?
24. What information will the operator be required to report to the public—and how often?
25. What enforceable protections are in place if the facility exceeds its permitted noise, water, air or environmental limits?
Those questions aren’t anti-technology.
They’re pro-community.
They’re the questions I’d want answered before approving any large industrial-scale computing operation near an established community.
And here’s something else worth remembering:
“The cloud” is physical.
The servers are physical.
The electricity is physical.
The cooling systems are physical.
The water is physical.
The generators are physical.
The noise is physical.
And the environmental impact—if there is one—is physical.
So the conversation shouldn’t simply be:
“Do we want technology?”
Of course we do.
The conversation should be:
“What technology are we approving, where are we putting it, what resources will it consume, and what protections are we putting in place for the people who already live here?”
I’d love to hear from North Coventry residents:
👇 Which of these 25 questions do YOU think is the most important?
And what question would you add?
Please share this post. The more informed our community is, the better decisions we can make together.
Written by Michele Castelino for informational and educational purposes for North Coventry residents & the local community.
Disclaimer: This post is intended for informational and educational purposes and is based on publicly available information and documents available at the time of posting. The proposed project is still subject to review, and details may change.
The questions and concerns expressed here are intended to encourage transparency, informed discussion and responsible community planning. They are not allegations that any person, company, developer or organization has violated any law or environmental standard, nor are they statements that potential impacts discussed will necessarily occur.
I encourage residents to review official documents and information from the appropriate government and regulatory agencies and to seek professional advice regarding specific legal, environmental or regulatory questions.
Personal disclosure: I am a licensed Pennsylvania Realtor®. The views expressed in this post are my own and are not made on behalf of my brokerage, any client, or any organization with which I am affiliated.
