By Taylor Fleming
NORTH PEKIN, Ill. (25 News) – The North Pekin Planning and Zoning Commission voted Tuesday night to table discussion on rezoning the former AMC theaters from commercial to light industrial.
The commission voted 5-3 to table discussion until its July meeting.
Monday, leaders assured members of the public that filled the room at the village board meeting that rumors are false about a data center replacing the old AMC Pekin 14. Tuesday, more than two dozen concerned people spent almost two hours asking questions.
During the meeting, the public asked about traffic, barriers at the property line, and other concerns, but a recurring theme was preventing a data center from coming in.
“Can you write it in, whatever zoning you guys choose, can it be written in, that there is no data center, [that] no service center is to be on that property, no matter what zoning it is?” asked resident Kelly Sonderman.
Rumors have circulated on Facebook that the old AMC theaters would be rezoned to become a data center. Property owner Jeff Agan and village attorney William Anderson repeatedly said Tuesday that a data center is not in their plans.
“We will not be considering a data center. That’s not in the cards. That’s not been applied for, and it’s not the intention of the planning and zoning commission to recommend such a thing,” Anderson said.
Agan attended the meeting, answering several questions from community members and the zoning commission. He does not think the property has enough traffic to sustain a retail location, which is what led him to seek a light industrial rezoning.
Agan said it would be almost impossible for the space to stay a theater or entertainment venue because chairs, food service equipment, and screens have all been removed.
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