Hermantown Google data center vote rescheduled after protests shut down meeting

Protesters packed the Hermantown City Council chambers Monday night and chanted for about two hours, so the council could not take up Google data center agreements. Police declared an unlawful assembly and gave everyone ten minutes to leave; there were no arrests. A rescheduled Tuesday meeting was canceled to avoid disrupting early voting at City Hall. MPR News reports the meeting is now set for Friday at 6:30 p.m., with in-person attendance capped at 85 and a livestream.

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Why it matters

The council's votes would be among the final local approvals for a proposed Google data center in the Duluth area, so residents on both sides have a stake in how and when they can speak. Early voting is also under way at Hermantown City Hall.

What to watch

MPR News reports the Hermantown City Council meeting is set for Friday, October 30, at 6:30 p.m., streamed online, with in-person seating capped at 85.

How each side sees it

Opponents sayThe group Stop the Hermantown Data Center cites energy and water needs, noise and light, and a lack of transparency, and says residents were not given enough time to review documents.

Supporters and the city sayBusiness and labor groups cite jobs and tax revenue; the city and St. Louis County expect about 210 million dollars in tax revenue over 20 years, and a councilor said the disruption is not how Hermantown gets things done.

Sources

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Published Thursday, October 29, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. See our corrections log and standards.