NorthPoint Development has offered $10,000 to each of 4,500 households in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, if residents allow it to build the first of 15 planned data center buildings on 1,300 acres in the Pocono foothills. The total payout would reach $45 million.

Letters arrived in June 2026 telling residents the money could be spent on anything. With a median household income of about $60,000, the payment would cover roughly six months of rent on a two-bedroom apartment, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Many residents remain unmoved. Retired teacher Jeff Fasnacht said $10,000 does not match how much the project would hurt property values. Others raised concerns about noise, water use, energy demands and distrust of developers.

NorthPoint has also pledged more than $120 million in community support over 15 years, including police funding. Chief marketing officer Brent Miles called direct cash payments a new phase in the AI infrastructure buildout, as companies race to secure sites for the data centers powering the artificial-intelligence boom.