A legal fight over the planned $15 billion PAX-1 data center development in Cumberland County moved into court Friday, where neighboring residents asked a judge to halt construction while their zoning challenges proceed.
The project is planned across roughly 694 acres in Middlesex Township and includes three data center campuses. Construction has already begun, and township supervisors recently granted a key approval for one of the planned campuses, according to WGAL.
Opponents argue that a data-center zoning overlay applied to the property was improper because the land had previously been expected to support residential development. Their attorneys asked the court to pause work while challenges to the zoning process move forward.
Lawyers representing the development argued in court that the project has complied with legal requirements. The judge did not announce a timetable for a decision after Friday's hearing.
The dispute has major implications for Cumberland County because data centers can bring substantial investment and tax-base growth while also raising questions about land use, power demand, water, noise, traffic and proximity to homes and farmland. Those competing considerations are increasingly central to development debates across Pennsylvania.
The American Desk will follow the court's ruling and subsequent township action because any injunction, zoning decision or project change could materially affect the development timeline.