On a recent Tuesday, residents of Stowe Township, located just west of Pittsburgh, gathered at a commissioners meeting with concerns about a potential data center development along the Ohio River. Before they could voice their worries, officials swiftly addressed the issue, clarifying that no such plans were in progress.

The confusion had been brewing for nearly a year, fueled by various news reports and social media posts. This situation highlighted a broader issue in the township: the need for better communication between local government and residents.

Setting the Record Straight

Stowe Township Solicitor Bradley Matta set the record straight during the meeting, stating, “There’s no proposal sitting in front of this board for a data center to come to the area. So I don’t know where this miscommunication started from about there being a data center or not. That’s not true.”

The owner of the 72-acre former Pressed Steel Car Company site, now under the ownership of SunCap Property Group, LLC, also confirmed that no data center has ever been planned for the site. However, some of the two dozen residents present at the meeting expressed that the confusion stemmed from a lack of direct information from the township, leading them to rely on social media for updates.

The Broader Context of Data Center Development

The tension in Stowe Township is part of a larger debate across Allegheny County regarding the rapid growth of data centers and how local governments should regulate them. In 2026, a limited liability company associated with SunCap Property Group purchased the 72-acre property, which previously housed the Pressed Steel Car Company McKees Rocks Works Plant.

Matt Virgin SunCap’s executive vice president, explained in a July 20 interview that the company is still in the process of removing existing manufacturing buildings and grading the site for new development. He emphasized that while one to three industrial facilities could be developed, no data center has ever been planned for the site. “If we were to change directions, I wouldn’t call [Public Source], I would go straight to the township,” Virgin said.

Commissioner Tyler Kochirka confirmed at the meeting that he had reached out to Virgin and Brian Dunn SunCap’s director of development, to verify the information. “I asked them three times: ‘Are you sure? Nothing else?’ And he said no, they’re at the same point today as they were years ago,” Kochirka stated.

The Zoning Change and Its Implications

Last year, SunCap urged the commissioners to allow for data centers in the township’s industrial areas. This request was partly due to “market conditions” and the company’s progress on the site “going a little slower than we wanted it to,” Virgin explained. In December, Stowe’s commissioners passed an ordinance adding data centers to the list of acceptable uses in the town’s industrial areas.

Nearly all of the town’s land that is zoned for industrial use sits between Nichol Avenue, McKees Rocks Bridge, and the Ohio River. This zoning change has sparked discussions among residents about the need for better communication and transparency from the township.

Transparency and Communication Gaps

At the meeting, residents expressed concerns about the broader lack of communication from the township. Sara Eve Rivera owner of a local tattoo shop, mentioned that she would have opposed the zoning change last year had she known about the meeting. Others asked commissioners for more direct ways to receive township updates, such as a newsletter.

Commissioner Shyanne Rippole a teacher who joined the board in January, recalled only being able to access meeting minutes from 2026 when running for her position last year. “There’s been transparency issues in this township for a long time,” she said. The lack of print media in the area is also a significant issue, as the township doesn’t have the digital infrastructure to communicate with residents online effectively.

However, Rippole noted that the township is making efforts to improve. The township recently updated its website, and there are plans to stream public meetings online. “I’m a teacher,” she said. “Processes and protocols are very important to me, and that’s what this current board is working on.”