Shutting Down a Data Center Proposal in Cascade Locks

In spring 2023, Friends staff were alerted by local residents about a proposal from a company called Roundhouse to build a data center in Cascade Locks on Port property. The community expressed concerns about noise, pollution, water use, electrical use, and other unknowns the project might bring. Many concerned community members posed questions to the leadership at the Port for which there came no clear answers, even months after the initial proposal. 

Friends became involved with the Cascade Locks community by supporting their concerns, attending Port meetings, and reaching out to the media. In March, Friends spurred an investigative report by Columbia Insight that provided an in-depth look into the project, the Port, and its proponents. By summer 2023, the project generated enough controversy that it led to the recall and replacement of two Port Commissioners and the ultimate collapse of the project.

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Additional Reading:

• Squandering Gorge Assets in Cascade Locks
• Businessman proposing data center on banks of Columbia River has history of troubled deals
• Cascade Locks rejects $100 million data center in the Columbia River Gorge

Flex building 6 in Cascade Locks, pictured here, was the proposed site for the data center (photo by Jurgen Hess).