EDWARDSVILLE — As Metro East towns are grappling with the interest of a major developer looking to build three massive data centers in the area — and all the money, jobs and controversy those bring — the city of Edwardsville offered what appeared to be a reassuring message to its residents.
In a post on the city’s official Facebook page on Feb. 10, it noted that while data centers were a hot topic in the Metro East and that the city had gotten “an inquiry” on the process to build such a center in town, it had received “no formal proposal.”
But that post does not tell the full story, according to dozens of emails reviewed by Illinois Answers Project between top Edwardsville city officials and a firm looking to develop massive data centers in the region.
For almost a year, the developer, Cloverleaf Infrastructure, has discussed in detail a proposal and site selection in Edwardsville with city and county officials, according to the nearly two dozen emails reviewed by Illinois Answers.
Read more: Edwardsville Officials Assured Residents on Facebook The City Had ‘No Formal Proposal’ For a Data Center — But City Emails Tell a Fuller Story (Feb. 21, 2026)
