Greenleaf property that residents say company wants to buy, Jan. 5, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREENLEAF, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Artificial intelligence data centers are becoming more common in the United States, and Wisconsin is no exception.
Residents in Greenleaf say they received offers from a company looking to buy their properties, with some of those homeowners saying the land sales would bring an AI data center to the area. It would be the first in Northeast Wisconsin.
The offers ranged from $50,000-$120,000 per acre.
The area in question has a boundary that runs from Highway 57 on the east to the East River on the west, Mallard Road on the north and Fair Road on the south. A quick Google Maps satellite search shows roughly two dozen properties within the proposed area.
“Less than a week ago, I got a phone call out of the blue that a company wants to purchase my property. And when I asked what for, ‘Well, we can’t disclose that. There’s already, you know, some people who allegedly signed.’ And I said, ‘Well, I don’t want to sell.’ And he said, ‘Well, I don’t think you’re going to want to live to what’s coming.’ But when I then discussed it with other neighbors, they had told that it was going to be a data center,” said Kyle Swalheim, a Greenleaf resident.
What is a data center? According to IBM, it’s defined as “a facility that houses the specific IT infrastructure needed to train, deploy and deliver AI applications and services.”
Communities across the country have pushed back against such facilities, citing issues like noise pollution, decreased property values, energy demands and increased water usage. A factor making Wisconsin an attractive home for AI data centers is the amount of freshwater that could be used for cooling.
Along with the community, members of the Town of Wrightstown and Village of Greenleaf Planning Commission are just learning about the centers, too.
“I think it’s something that we have to look at and see what’s all there. You know, it’s, you can’t just say no,” said William Verbeten, a member of the planning commission.
“Yeah, the offer seems good, but I can’t replace what I have for (what) it is. They don’t make any more land and these companies are just gobbling it up, and where are we supposed to go to live the lifestyle that we’re living?” Swalheim asked.
It’s a sentiment that was shared by those we spoke to Monday: No amount of money can make up for losing your home.
Comments