FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MENOMONIE, WI FEBRUARY 27, 2026-Open Records Request (ORR) documents from the city of Menomonie, WI, regarding the controversial $1.6B data center proposal are under review
Wolves of Douglas County Wisconsin
Media & Films
Rachel Tilseth: (715) 440-5157
Isaac Wold: (715) 308-5028
Due to a lack of transparency from the mayor’s office, Isaac Wold filed an Open Records Request (over 5 months ago) regarding a $1.6B data center proposal. The long-awaited records are being released to Wold next week.
The administration signed NDAs with the developer (Balloonist LLC) in early 2024, more than a year before the public knew of a specific $1.6B proposal. (Shortly afterward, zoning definitions were changed so that “warehousing” could include data centers, laying legal groundwork in advance of open debate. In mid-2025, the city processed the annexation and rezoning of 320+ acres explicitly described as being for a data center by Balloonist LLC. The most consequential steps (secrecy agreements, zoning changes, and land assembly) were taken before the community saw any complete analysis or had a chance to weigh in.
In July 2025, the proposal became public, and soon afterwards, area residents began a stop the data center” movement. After public opposition to the project (August 2025), the mayor, in a surprising move, put the data center on hold, causing a public call for more transparency.
“This is not just about one data center; it is about whether Menomonie’s current administration can be trusted to manage large, high-risk projects at all. Critical records were withheld over five months; there is no solid basis for confidence in its approach to transparency or long-term planning.” Isaac Wold
“The public was kept in the dark regarding the proposed $1.6B data center for over a year by utilizing non-disclosure agreements (NDA), allowing land annexation/rezoning without full disclosure of the project’s details, and especially who the big tech giant was behind it.” All of this is unacceptable! -Rachel Tilseth
Wolves of Douglas County Wisconsin Film Company-Films & Stories That Inspire Action
Our current project is: The Menomonie Resistance, a small town up against a big tech data center.
http://www.wolvesofdouglascountywiscondin.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/citizensagainstthedatacenterinmenomonie/
Media contacts:
Isaac Wold: (715) 308-5028
Rachel Tilseth: (715) 440-5157
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