Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams Pitched Wisconsin Rapids Community On Proposed Data Center – AfroTech
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pursuing a new career path.
Adams held the position until Dec. 31, 2025, when he was succeeded by Zohran Mamdani. Now, he is embarking on a new career as a business development consultant, selling products to companies and sovereign nations, according to The Real Deal.
The “real estate-related technology companies” he’s pitching for include MST Rebar (green rebar company); Cherish (health monitoring technology company); Opus (cleaning and concierge services for facilities); WireSight (traffic enforcement firm); GPOD (green energy company); DAMPEN (fire-retardant product); DCL Fortress (construction firm); and an atmospheric water generation company, per the outlet.
Adams says he has closed 80% of his pitches, per the outlet.
“Once you’ve dealt with the City Council, the federal government, you know all personalities,” Adams told The Real Deal. “I know the products of what cities and corporations need because I already vetted them.”
Adams recently traveled to Wisconsin Rapids to persuade residents to support a real estate developer, PNK Group, seeking to build a data center in their town, according to Hell Gate. His presence drew criticism from some residents, including Kaitlyn Federwitz of South Wood County Neighbors for Responsible Development community group.
“Our whole town does not want him here at all,” she told Hell Gate.
“You’re here to steal our water!” one attendee of the pitch meeting shouted, affirming Federwitz’s sentiments.
“I just want to share one story with you,” Adams later explained, per the outlet, proceeding to share how AI was useful in a breast cancer diagnosis for his friend.
“Is this story true?” another attendee shouted.
The data center, if approved, would span 209 acres by the Wisconsin River on the same land that was once home to the area’s paper mill, per the outlet.
“We want our resources to be properly safeguarded, our farmers to be protected, our waterways protected,” Federwitz told Hell Gate. “When the mill closed, we lost 900 jobs. We’re aware we need jobs and industry in our city, but we’re not willing to accept that a data center is the answer to that problem.”
