WILMINGTON, Ohio — Wilmington City Council chambers overflowed Thursday night as dozens of residents voiced concerns about a proposed Amazon data center project in the community about 50 miles northeast of Cincinnati.

The council voted to advance the proposal beyond the first of the required three readings.

The Amazon Web Services (AWS) project would occupy approximately 471 acres off U.S. 68 in Wilmington.

Alex Beres, executive director of the Port Authority, and Josh Roth, economic development director, outlined the key elements of the proposal and took questions from councilmembers.

According to officials, the project involves a $4 billion investment from AWS, creating about 100 permanent jobs with an annual payroll of $8 million. AWS would also fund $25 million in public infrastruc

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