An Illinois neighborhood was erased to make room for an AI data center

In the U.S., an entire residential area in Illinois was demolished to build a massive AI data center. Developer CyrusOne bought out 55 houses, reportedly paying $1 million per home. On paper, it looked like a win-win: cash payouts, new homes, clean exits.

But the story didn’t end there. Several families refused to sell until the very end. They were offered neither compensation nor relocation options. Pressure mounted until the case reached court. Only after legal intervention were these families finally allowed to leave