Advisory committee endorses data center project in Merrillville
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A plan to build a data center campus in Merrillville that could result in up to $900 million in investment has cleared two key hurdles. The town said this week that the newly formed Data Center Citizen Advisory Committee has endorsed the plan from Karis Critical.
The company aims to build as many as nine, $100 million buildings on 180 acres of land on 101st Avenue east of Deep River in Merrillville.
Town Council President Rick Bella, who is a member of the advisory committee, said he was pleased at the level of engagement from citizens at the committee’s inaugural meeting on Monday.
“The preparation and thoughtful participation they brought to the discussion were invaluable,” Bella said in a news release. “We addressed many of the common concerns and misconceptions surrounding data centers, and it became evident that many of these fears have already been mitigated through the advancements in modern data center design.”
Karis Critical was also seeking a zoning change for the site to support the development, which the town council approved during its meeting Tuesday.
Town Councilor Shawn Pettit, who also serves as president of the town’s redevelopment commission, said he believes the project will bring many benefits.
“I’m very excited with the investment,” Pettit said. “It’s a low impact/high reward development for the Town of Merrillville. It will also create job opportunities for the Merrillville residents, which is always a priority for myself and the rest of the Town Council.”
Town spokesman Chas Reilly told our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana that the project could create up to 270 jobs. Karis Critical has developed a similar data center in Dekalb, Illinois, the publication reported.
Plan Commission member Brian Dering added that the project could generate $1 million in annual property tax revenue per building and have a minimal impact on town services.
“It is very rare for a town to show this level of passion and engagement in the process, and we are so excited to continue moving this transformative project forward,” Karis Chief Information Officer and Head of Data Centers Brett Rogers said in written remarks. “It is a testament to what makes Merrillville a leader in Northwest Indiana. We are optimistic that we can solve the power story on this project in the near term to really unlock a promising development in Merrillville.”
The town said the project still requires plan unit development approval from the Merrillville Plan Commission, as well as power authorization from Northern Indiana Public Service Co. before work can begin.