By Angeles Ponpa
NORTH PEKIN, Ill. (25 News) – After a data center proposal was shelved in Pekin, residents became suspicious about another possible data center site, this time in North Pekin.
Although a vote on rezoning the now abandoned AMC theaters in North Pekin from retail to light industrial won’t be taken until Tuesday night, residents in the area are concerned that rezoning could open the possibility of a future data center. North Pekin leaders assured the public Monday night that won’t happen.
Residents showed up in “NO Data Center” t-shirts to fill the room where usually just a small gathering of residents attend. According to North Pekin residents, this was the first meeting they’ve attended, and it was because of data center rumors.
The shuttered AMC Pekin 14 located at 1124 Edgewater Drive in North Pekin was sold to North 52, LLC in December 2025, but the current owner said that he has no plans to make it a data center.
Jeff Agan, managing member and sole owner of North 52, LLC, is assuring residents that the rezoning is to make the property appealing to sell, adding it currently is purposed for single use, and according to him, movie theaters are not coming back.
“To make the property marketable and to keep the tax base reasonable, it probably has some more traction as light industrial to be used for warehousing and small businesses,” said Agan.
The theaters sit just around the corner from the Lutticken Property, which was envisioned as a data center until Pekin city officials initiated a pause because of worries about potential impacts.
Agan realizes he is coming in to rezone the property shortly after Pekin leaders faced the wrath of concerned residents.
“It won’t be a data center, because if it is, I would just be finding out the news,” said Agan. “But, no, we have no intention and no connection with anyone operating a data center.”
Several residents speaking during Monday’s North Pekin board meeting previously attended Pekin council meetings. They said that experience made them more cautious about future zoning changes involving industrial uses.
“Your voice matters to [the board members]. They did not understand in Pekin what a data center was. I’ll be honest with you. I did not know either. That’s why I got involved,” said Pekin resident Dave Milam, who is a data center opponent.
Others in the crowd said they wanted transparency and written documentation that safeguards would be put in place before a data center proposal comes to North Pekin.
Residents highlighted concerns including how a future rezoning from light industrial can turn into medium or heavy industrial zoning request. Heavy industrial zoning would be for large-scale data centers.
Village President Steve Flowers told residents that North Pekin does not have the space for a data center, but if the time comes, there will be a meeting.
“This [rumor] started on Facebook, and it has no merit,” Flowers told 25News.
“There is no way that I see in the foreseeable future that a data center would locate here, just because of the logistics of the place and the area they need to operate,” said Flowers.
The North Pekin Planning and Zoning Commission is set to vote on the old theaters’ rezoning, Tuesday, June 9, at 6 p.m. Agan has confirmed he will be in attendance to answer residents’ questions.
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