Janesville council hires Stantec to lead GM Jacko master plan as residents press for delay on data‑center proposals

The Janesville Common Council unanimously approved hiring Stantec to develop a conceptual redevelopment plan and implementation strategy for the GM Jacko site, agreeing to a roughly $225,000 master‑services agreement intended to run about 18 months.

Nick Faust, assistant to the city manager, told the council the city ran a competitive request‑for‑qualifications process and the citizen‑led GM Jacko redevelopment advisory board recommended Stantec after interviews and reference checks. "The total project cost as a refresh was $225,000," Faust said, and staff recommended the council approve Stantec to produce site assessments, market and feasibility analyses and a public engagement program.

Stantec staff in the chamber described the "site assessment" work as an analysis of existing environmental documents and redevelopment constraints rather than new physical testing. A Stantec representative said the group assigned to Janesville is separate from the firm's wetland delineation team that has work in the Beloit area: "There is no project manager sharing or coordination between the two," the representative said.

The vote came after nearly two hours of public comment in which residents pressed the council to slow the process and demanded more independent analysis. Alyssa Capizello, who identified herself as a Janesville resident, said residents had not been given full information and warned against "selling our souls and fresh water to big tech." She urged the council to invite environmental groups to brief the public.

Several speakers raised health, noise and utility concerns tied to hyperscale data centers. Seventeen‑year‑old Zaley Pope told the council she worried about rising utility bills, noise and e‑waste, saying the proposed Janesville data center would include multiple large buildings that require frequent hardware replacement and could increase local emissions. Sam Nemitz accused a local adviser of promoting a nearby Beloit project while advising Janesville, calling that "a direct conflict of interest" and asking the council to delay any hiring until referendum results and additional disclosure are available.

Council members said they respected those concerns but noted the advisory board conducted a public process to evaluate candidates. Several members acknowledged public skepticism about Stantec's roles in other regional projects but said the firm’s demonstrated brownfield experience and funding‑strategy work supported the recommendation.

The council approved the contract by unanimous vote and directed staff to begin the kickoff meeting with Stantec and the advisory board later this month. The firm’s scope includes public and stakeholder engagement, site and market assessments and an implementation strategy intended to guide long‑term redevelopment of the GM Jacko property.

Next steps: staff will finalize the master‑services agreement and Stantec will begin the public‑engagement and assessment phases if the contract proceeds on schedule.