Microsoft acquires land in Granger for data center
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Another major tech company is looking to Indiana for the next phase of technological advancements.
Microsoft has acquired nearly 930 acres of farmland from St. Joe Farm, according to documents from the St. Joseph County recorder. The county assessor’s office said the land was purchased for $77.5 million.
The tech giant plans to build a new data center at the site, located near the intersection of Currant and Cleveland roads in Granger.
Bill Schalliol, director of economic development for St. Joseph County, said much still needs to be done to move forward with the project, including working with the city of Mishawaka on utilities, NIPSCO on natural gas, and the county on traffic management, site design, and building construction.
“With the land under new ownership, the County will work with the property owner to create a development strategy for the site that will benefit the Granger area,” Schalliol said. “The county sees this site as an anchor to guide future development, much like the new sports complex and the Beacon development. The opportunity to create synergies between the uses and the adjacent area will yield strong economic benefits for the region.”
County council members last month voted to rezone the land from agricultural to industrial to seal Microsoft’s investment in the region, though the name of the company had not been revealed at that time. Residents had mixed reactions on the rezoning decision when it passed, according to our partners at Fox Michiana.
“I actually voted against the project, because many people in the surrounding agricultural area did not feel that their questions about the development were answered,” Councilor Amy Drake told Inside INdiana Business. “As we consider economic development in Indiana—and here in St. Joseph County—many of our constituents have questions regarding the kinds of industry we are bringing in and how that affects our way of life; as well as how these developments impact our ag land; our natural resources; our environment; our cost of living; and our property taxes.”
Drake added that elected officials should not just prioritize economic development but also take into account the concerns of residents.
Schalliol noted that the Capital Avenue corridor, particularly the St. Joe Farm site, had been designated for future industrial development since 2003. He said the recent rezoning gives the community “an opportunity to use the corridor as it was once envisioned for development and transportation purposes.”
He added the sale will also serve as a benchmark for other properties in the area and foresees a rise in property values as the development progresses.
Presently, the preservation of the Juday Creek corridor and the aquifer are the biggest environmental considerations. Schalliol said the site plan review process will help solidify a roadmap.
While the project is expected to provide hundreds of jobs in the area, there is currently no specific number or timeline for completion of the project as parties are still in the preliminary planning stages. But Schalliol anticipates massive local collaboration to herald the project.
“We always work to get local companies and local labor forces involved on these projects as they evolve,” he said. “An example was the use of Danch Harner, a local engineering firm, to represent the rezoning and property subdivision process.”
He said a formal announcement for the project is likely still several months away.
The project is the latest in a string of major data centers announced for Indiana. Google recently broke ground on a $2 billion data center in Fort Wayne. Amazon Web Services is also building a $11 billion data center in New Carlisle, and Meta is investing $800 million for a data center in Jeffersonville. All four companies are in the top 10 most profitable companies in the U.S.