The process

Where things stand, and how to have a say.

Nothing has been decided. The city and the developer are inside a negotiation window, the city has promised public review of any final agreement before a vote, and the public-input channels are open right now. Status as of June 11, 2026.

The timeline so far, and what's ahead

  • April 20, 2026Done

    MOU signed

    The City and MD Squared Power LLC signed a Memorandum of Understanding: 120 days of exclusive negotiation. It transfers no land and agrees to no terms; either side can walk away with no penalty.32

  • June 5, 2026Done

    City announces formal review

    The city published its press release, the executed MOU, and a detailed statement of what it is examining and why.12

  • NowIn progress

    Independent review being assembled

    The City Commission is working toward authorizing independent legal counsel and an independent economic and site analysis. The developer’s water-usage projections are being independently verified. The developer has not yet signed an end user for the facility.2

  • ~August 18, 2026Upcoming

    Exclusive negotiation window ends

    120 days from the MOU signing. Both parties can extend it by mutual agreement, or either can walk away.2

  • Before any votePromised by the city

    Complete terms published for public review

    The city has committed: “No vote will be taken before the community has had the opportunity to see exactly what is being considered and why.”2

  • After public reviewPromised by the city

    City Commission votes

    A Development Agreement only exists if the Commission approves it, after the published-terms review period.2

Still unknown, as of this writing

The end user (the company that would actually operate the data center), the cooling design, the financial terms, whether the land would be leased or sold, and every enforceable commitment: all of it remains to be negotiated and published. That’s not a criticism; it’s the stage the process is in. It’s also why questions asked now carry the most weight.2

How to participate

  • Go to a meeting. The City Commission typically meets the second and fourth Monday of each month, open to the public, with agendas and minutes posted on the city’s website.150
  • Send questions or comments to the city’s dedicated address for this project: datacenter@pikevilleky.gov.2
  • Show up prepared. The Questions to Ask page is a printable checklist of the specific, sourced questions other towns wish they had asked earlier.

How to see the records yourself: Kentucky's Open Records Act

You don’t have to take anyone’s word, including this site’s, for what’s in a public document. Kentucky law gives every resident of the Commonwealth the right to inspect public records:

  • Who can ask: any Kentucky resident. The agency may ask for a signed, written application describing the records, but may not demand proof of residency.151
  • How fast they must answer: within five business days, the agency must either provide the records or deny the request in writing, and any denial must cite the specific legal exemption it relies on.152
  • If you’re denied: you can appeal to the Kentucky Attorney General, who issues a binding decision, no lawyer required.152
  • What to expect: some records are legitimately exempt while negotiations are live (the law has exceptions, which the agency must name in writing). Final agreements, meeting minutes, and most correspondence are public. In The Dalles, Oregon, it was a newspaper’s public records fight that ultimately revealed the water numbers.152106

A request can be one paragraph: who you are, that you are a Kentucky resident, what records you want (be specific: dates, topics, parties), and how you’d like to receive them. Send it to the agency’s records custodian: for city records, City Hall at 243 Main Street.2

Next: The printable questions checklist