Thor Equities, the developer behind the proposed Urbana Technology Hub, is highlighting the project’s projected economic benefits for the City of Urbana, Champaign County, and Urbana City Schools.
According to the company, the proposed project represents more than $1 billion in private capital investment directly into the local economy. Planned near the intersection of State Route 55 and U.S. Route 68, the approximately 460,000-square-foot, single-story facility would serve as digital infrastructure housing servers and hardware that support cloud storage, video streaming, online services, and other everyday applications.
Thor says the project is expected to generate more than $5.8 million annually in local tax revenue.
Of that total, more than $3 million per year would go to the City of Urbana to help fund services such as police, fire protection, and infrastructure maintenance. The company says that figure is equivalent to nearly 34% of Urbana’s projected 2026 city budget of approximately $8.8 million.
An additional $2.8 million annually is projected to go toward Urbana City Schools, providing what Thor describes as dedicated, reliable funding support for education priorities.
The development is also projected to create more than 1,000 temporary construction jobs over several years, with a stated focus on using local trades and workers. Once operational, the facility is expected to support between 30 and 80 permanent positions in what the company describes as a clean, high-tech environment.
Thor said those projections are based on an internal analysis using expected site investment, projected property values, and current Urbana millage rates.
The company also says the project would leverage the site’s existing transmission capacity while minimizing burdens on local utilities and taxpayers.
“As Ohio continues to emerge as a leader in data center development, this project aligns with broader regional growth while delivering direct, localized returns for Urbana residents,” Thor said in a statement.
Thor Equities said it remains committed to maintaining transparent dialogue with the community as the project moves forward.
More information is available at urbanaohiodatacenter.com.
