Exclusive: News 12 gets inside look at Orangetown data center as expansion proposal faces scrutiny
The project is also undergoing a full environmental impact study before it can move forward.
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News 12 is getting an exclusive look inside a DataBank data center in Orangetown as the company’s proposed expansion continues to draw opposition from some nearby residents.
DataBank Inc. is seeking to expand its existing facility in Orangetown, but the proposal has sparked ongoing protests from neighbors who have raised concerns about noise, pollution and the growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure in the community.
The project is also undergoing a full environmental impact study before it can move forward. The study has not yet been submitted to the Orangetown Planning Board, and no vote on the proposal has been scheduled.
During an exclusive tour, News 12 was given access inside the facility, which supports industries including healthcare, banking and other digital services. The company says facilities like this play a critical role in keeping everyday technology and online services running.
“A lot of the fear and pushback around data centers is really a fear of AI, because this is an industry that’s been around for 30 years, has powered our kind of increasingly digital lives,” said JP Laqueur, vice president of marketing for DataBank. “You just came home, you turned on a computer, you accessed whatever application you used, and it works. There’s a lot of different types of data centers, and there’s a lot of different types of applications that run in data centers.”
DataBank’s facility is one of several data centers located in Orangetown. Town officials have not announced when the Planning Board will next consider the expansion application, and there is currently no deadline for the environmental impact study to be completed.
