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The council meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday, July 14, at Janesville City Hall, 18 N. Jackson St.

The city is finalizing the purchase of the former GM and JATCO sites and five other smaller surrounding properties through eminent domain from Commercial Development Company, which bought the GM and JATCO parcels from General Motors in 2018.

Jimsi Kuborn, the city’s economic development director, said in a memo that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to position Janesville as a competitive destination for high-tech investment. Data center development would bring substantial capital investment, high-quality job creation, and long-term fiscal benefits to the community, the memo said.

This would also align with Janesville’s broader economic development strategy, which emphasizes industry diversification, reuse of underutilized properties, and future-oriented growth, the memo continued. The site is equipped with existing power infrastructure capable of supporting 25 megawatts of energy, an asset for potential data center operators, the memo also said.

If the council votes on Monday night to move forward, it would invite developers to submit proposals that city staff would review and then recommend a firm to consider moving forward with.

The city council would ultimately vote on whether to proceed further.

The city is forming an advisory board of community stakeholders to help review future proposals for the site. The mission and scope of the advisory board is expected to be presented to the council in August.

The memo made clear that issuing a request for proposal does not commit the city to any single project or developer. Rather, it’s a chance to evaluate real-world opportunities and determine the best path forward, the memo said.