SALEM TWP. — A group of 96 landowners in Salem Township was paid more than $500 million for approximately 1,700 acres by Blackstone QTS in what is being called one of the largest land aggregations for data centers in the country.
Jack Sordoni, 50, founder of 4-3 Consulting, LLC, conceived and organized the deal that is projected to provide long-term prosperity and progress for Salem Township and the region.
“This is the right way to do data centers,” Sordoni said. “It’s the only way to do data centers.”
Sordoni said QTS is expected to build between 12 and 17 data centers on the land, creating a campus adjacent to the Amazon site being developed near the Salem Nuclear Power Plant.
Sordoni said the project represents an extraordinary effort that brought together 96 families, one of the world’s largest real estate companies, and local Salem Township officials around a shared vision. He said this deal also answers the Shapiro and Trump Administrations’ collective call for the infrastructure build-out of data center capacity as a state and national concern.
“4-3’s unique business model, which focuses on landowner and community interests, played a key role in our success here in Salem Township,” Sordoni said. “We were able to include the landowners as early-stage stakeholders in the development, resulting in broad community support.”
Sordoni said the transaction was brokered by international real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), with Park Place Realty of Drums serving as co-broker.
Sordoni said what makes this story different is not just the scale — it is the way it was done.
“This came together because 96 landowners and the municipality worked through the process the right way,” said Dave Scoblick, Principal of 4-3 Consulting. “The landowners stayed aligned, the township stayed engaged, and together they created an opportunity that can have a lasting impact on Salem Township and all of Pennsylvania.”
That community-first approach shaped the project from the start, Sordoni said.
“Rather than trying to force a deal one property at a time, the effort focused on keeping landowners aligned and informed, working through the township process, and developing a strong working relationship with the municipal government,” he said.
Project leaders say that structure was one of the main reasons the effort succeeded. In many large assemblages, Sordoni said landowners lose confidence early, interests diverge, and the process breaks down.
“In Salem Township, the landowners remained part of the process, while the opportunity was being developed and brought to market, and the township remained engaged, helping shape the project,” Sordoni said. “Local officials are also being praised for recognizing the opportunity and approaching it in a way that kept the municipality involved and the public interest front and center.”
QTS statement
The following statement was received from QTS:
“QTS is advancing plans to develop a data center campus in Salem Township, Pennsylvania, designed to support the substantial demand for high-quality digital infrastructure.
“Pennsylvania is well-positioned for data center growth, and we’re proud to be a leader in that momentum. We look forward to continuing to work with local leaders and the community to deliver long-term economic and community benefits across Pennsylvania businesses and families.”
Water usage
“QTS data centers are built with a closed-loop system so that they do not consume water for cooling, once operational.
“This technology allows us to protect local water supply in the communities we call home.
“Once operational, our facilities use municipal water only for standard building needs — similar to any other commercial building. As industry leaders in water preservation, we are proud to save billions of gallons of water annually.”
2 landowners offer comment
Michael Hodgson, 37, grew up in Kingston. He and his wife, Nicole, and their daughter sold 14 acres to QTS for the project.
Hodgson said that since the transaction was completed, he has felt a sense of relief and satisfaction, knowing he can spend time with his family without worry.
“There were a lot of folks struggling out here,” Hodgson said. “And now, their lives will be exponentially better. It’s a great feeling to see the smiles on their faces, knowing that you helped effect this deal for all of them. We all worked together, and it worked out.”
Hodgson said Salem Township is an ideal site for data centers. The township has been “industrialized” since the 1970s.
“For what we were able to accomplish, we can’t thank the 4-3 Consulting team and Jack Sordoni enough,” Hodgson said. “I’m happy to have played a role in it. All of the landowners were in this together, lockstep.”
Hodgson said all of the landowners have been paid, and the deal cost them nothing out of pocket.
Doyle Watts, 61, and his wife, Kim, have five children — two still living at home.
Watts and his wife sold 23 acres to QTS.
“My parents bought the property in the late 1970s,” Watts said. “I helped my dad build our house.”
Watts has worked as an electrician and mechanic. He said he retired from his workplace last week.
“This deal gave me the opportunity to retire early,” said Watts, a veteran.
As far as the project, Watts said he saw it as something that was going to happen and that data centers are increasingly needed.
“Projects like this will happen all over,” he said. “This is the digital age. Once we found out what it was, you could feel everybody coming together. Our strength was in our numbers. We stuck together, and I think we got a better price.”
Watts said it’s not easy to give up his home, but he felt this was an opportunity.
“I can tell you that Jack Sordoni and Dave Scoblick changed people’s lives — all for the positive,” Watts said. “I would go to war with those guys. They made a lot of people very happy.”
Watts said the project will also be good for Salem Township and for the region.
“This will have a positive effect on the local economy, and it will be good for the community,” Watts said. “It will bring back businesses and jobs.”
Salem Township solicitor comments
Former Judge, Anthony J. McDonald, now the solicitor for Salem Township, said:
“From the beginning, the Supervisors made it clear to me that they were concerned with positive future growth for the Township.
“The data centers offer a unique opportunity to bring responsible growth, good jobs, and financial stability to the township.
“However, the Supervisors directed this be done in a manner to respect the environment and the needs of all the citizens of Salem Township.
“Many municipalities see the possibility of a data center as a negative. The Salem Township supervisors saw the possibility of a data center as a positive.
“As a positive for the long-term stability of the township and long-term resources to benefit all the citizens of the township.”
Township support
Sordoni said supporters say the Salem Township Board of Supervisors, the township zoning officer, and the municipality as a whole helped create the conditions for responsible growth.
“At a time when communities across the country are grappling with how to approach large-scale data center development, Salem Township is being recognized for taking a serious and thoughtful approach to planning, zoning, and long-term municipal interests,” Sordoni said. “A major part of that work was making sure the township itself would benefit in a direct and meaningful way.”
Sordoni said that as part of the transaction, Salem Township will receive a $9 million Community Benefit Agreement expected to support important local needs, including emergency medical services, road and infrastructure improvements, municipal services, and other community priorities.
“That agreement is a central part of the story,” Sordoni said. “It reflects the belief that large projects should not simply happen in a community. They should help strengthen the community hosting them.”
Beyond the immediate community benefit agreement, Sordoni said the project is expected to generate substantial long-term economic value for Salem Township, Luzerne County, and the surrounding region.
Sordoni said large data center developments require years of site work, infrastructure investment, utility upgrades, and heavy construction, creating strong demand for skilled trades and construction labor.
Once operational, he said these campuses also generate permanent jobs in operations, security, facilities, and technical support, while contributing meaningful tax revenue over time.
Sordoni said supporters say the tax benefits from a project of this scale could have lasting importance for the township, county, and local schools. They also say the development has the potential to position the region as a serious destination for major digital infrastructure investment at a time when demand for data center capacity continues to grow across the country.
For those closest to the effort, however, Sordoni said the most remarkable part remains the way the process was structured from the beginning.
He said bringing together 96 separate landowners in a coordinated effort of this size is rare under any circumstances. Doing it in a way that kept the landowners as stakeholders, kept the township engaged, and produced direct benefits for the municipality is what Sordoni says made this project different.
“This deserves to be recognized for what it is,” Sordoni said. “Since the formation of the group, through marketing, negotiations, zoning, due diligence, and Master Plan approval, the landowners stayed together, the township demonstrated leadership, and the community remained at the center of the process.”
Timeline
Sordoni said he expects the shovels to hit the ground on the project in fall 2026.
He said the Salem Township Supervisors have approved the project, and the landowners have received their money.
“The landowners are the big winners,” Sordoni said. “They became the deal — we were glad to bring them all together.”