Among the six actions taken by the Hermantown City Council on Friday night was its rejection of a citizen petition seeking an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the data center project proposed by Harmony Group.

Environmental review petition rejected as permit and land approvals move ahead

The dismissal of that petition came through Resolution 2026-132, one of six measures approved during a meeting that stretched through roughly four hours of public comment, most of it from residents opposed to the development. The Friday session was itself the product of disruption.

The council had originally convened on Tuesday, October 27, but adjourned that meeting after more than an hour of protests from project opponents.

A subsequently rescheduled meeting was canceled, and the vote ultimately shifted to Friday. In the days before the session, residents and students had asked the city to secure a larger venue to hold the expected crowd.

Recently, Hermantown City Council tabled a vote on tax abatement for Google's proposed 1.2 million square foot data center.

What the council approved

Resolution 2026-133 granted a special use permit allowing construction of a data center within a district zoned for business and light manufacturing, subject to conditions.

Resolution 2026-134 approved both the preliminary and final plat for the Hermantown Industrial Addition and set conditions governing the final plat, formalizing the land division the project requires. Resolution 2026-135 established a development agreement and memorandum of understanding with Harmony Group LLC covering the Hermantown project.

Resolution 2026-136 authorized the mayor and city clerk to execute a cooperative agreement between St. Louis County and the city of Hermantown covering roadway and utility improvements, tied to county and state-aid project numbers CP 0013-1020569, SAP 069-613-050, CP 0056-1019892 and SAP 069-656-024.

The final measure, Resolution 2026-137, approved a reuse and decommissioning agreement with Harmony Group LLC and Google LLC.

Google's role and the development partnership

Harmony Group LLC serves as the development partner on the project, while Google LLC is named alongside Harmony Group in the reuse and decommissioning agreement the council approved.

The special use permit enables construction within the business and light manufacturing zoning district, and the plat approval for the Hermantown Industrial Addition supplies the formal land division needed for the development to proceed.

Opposition voiced across multiple meetings

Resistance to the data center was a consistent presence throughout the approval process. Opponents prolonged the October 27 meeting by more than an hour before councilors adjourned, and at the Friday session their comments made up the bulk of the four hours of testimony.

The rejection of the petition for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet was among the six resolutions adopted despite that sustained opposition. With all six resolutions now passed, the Hermantown data center project is positioned to move forward.