NorthPoint Development Offers $165 Million for Pennsylvania Data Center

NorthPoint Development is offering a $165 million community-benefits package to secure approval for Project Hazelnut, a 1,300-acre data center campus in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania. The project was previously rejected in November.

The proposal includes one-time $10,000 cash grants to approximately 4,000 eligible households, which would be payable once the first building receives an occupancy certificate, potentially by late 2027. The developer also committed $105 million to the township over 15 years to establish a local police department and reduce garbage-collection fees, plus $15 million for workforce development and community organizations like the YMCA.

NorthPoint Development describes the investment as a way to share value with the community. However, critics have labeled the direct cash payments to residents as bribes.