Trenton Residents Protest Secret Amazon Web Services Data Center

Residents of Trenton, Ohio, are protesting a lack of transparency regarding a nearly 1-million-square-foot Amazon Web Services data center currently under construction. Developed by Prologis on 140 acres of former farmland, the project was agreed upon by the city in spring 2024, though community members report they were not informed until the sale closed in fall 2025.

Organized as the Woodsdale and Trenton Environmental Resistance, residents have raised concerns over water usage, noise, and the use of non-disclosure agreements by city officials. Marcos Nichols, the Trenton City Manager, defended the secrecy as a necessary balance to remain competitive against other potential locations. To mitigate local impact, the city implemented an I-T zoning district requiring the site to be buffered by trees and berms.

The dispute has expanded as the community group demands transparency regarding city plans to annex an additional 600 acres for a second Amazon Web Services facility. Molly Bryden of Policy Matters Ohio noted that the situation highlights a lack of centralized state-level reporting requirements for data center projects, leaving communities to rely on public records requests to uncover planned developments.