O’Hare-area data centers secure near $100M in tax relief while homeowners bear burden

A collaborative investigation finds 18 data centers near O’Hare have won multimillion-dollar property-tax reductions and state incentives, collectively shaving about $2 billion off taxable values in Elk Grove Village, Northlake, and Franklin Park and saving nearly $100 million in taxes this year, a shift that raises homeowner costs and fuels a national debate over how such facilities should be valued and whether incentives are warranted.