Google pulls data center project amid opposition
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A Google data center won't be built on the southeast side of Indianapolis.
Driving the news: The Indianapolis City-County Council was expected to vote on a rezoning request that would have paved the way for the 468-acre project Monday night, but Google representatives announced at the meeting they were withdrawing the proposal.
- Google officials did not immediately say why they had pulled the project, though the request was expected to fail.
The big picture: Large-scale data centers have been cropping up all over the country and particularly in the Midwest, where the risk of natural disasters is relatively low and resources like electricity and water are relatively plentiful.
- Yes, but: The massive projects often result in relatively few permanent jobs.
- According to documents submitted to the Metropolitan Development Commission, the Google project would have consisted of four buildings filled with computer servers and created 50 jobs over five years.
Zoom in: Hundreds attended the council meeting Monday night, many to protest the data center, requiring two overflow rooms for meeting-goers at the City-County Building.
- City staff had recommended approval of the project, provided AES and Citizens Energy Group could meet its utility needs, which would have included 2-3 million gallons of water per day.
- The data center's utility usage has been a flashpoint for months, though, and a majority of councilors came out against the project ahead of Monday's vote.
Inside the room: Google's announcement that it was pulling the project was met with loud cheers from the crowd in the council room, many of whom were holding signs in opposition to the project.
Reality check: The project could come back.
- If it's not actually withdrawn, another hearing could be held as early as next month.
- Since the rezoning request wasn't rejected, Google could refile the request sooner than the one-year waiting period it otherwise would have faced.
What they're saying: Councilor Michael-Paul Hart led the council opposition to the project on behalf of a group of Franklin Township residents.
- Hart said tax abatements, utility strain and quality-of-life impacts on his constituents were all reasons he opposed the project.