Data center in Decatur Township in Indianapolis seeks approval INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Protesters are turning up the heat against plans for a $4 billion data center in Marion County’s Decatur Township as the Metropolitan Development Commission is set to consider the million-square-foot, 250-me gawatt proposal. Unlike, the defeated Franklin-Google Data Center that needed the Indianapolis City-County Council approval, the Decatur Township project will be decided by the Metropolitan Development Commission because the land is zoned as industrial and doesn’t need to go through a full rezoning process. The commission meeting will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building in downtown Indianapolis. City-County Councilor Josh Bain, a Republican, said Monday that believes the project will be approved. ” I think, right now, that 130 acres produces $16,000 a year in tax revenue. The projected revenue on this is $22 million, so it’s a massive impact to our community. I think the thing we have to be careful of is that there is no local ordinance of local data centers right now. I know the city is working on that.” Seattle-based company Sabey Data Centers LLC has their eye set on a 130-acre lot on Camby Road and southeast Kentucky Avenue. It plans on building two buildings in a closed-loop water system to prevent water pollution, and promises hundreds of construction and more than 100 long-term jobs. Bain said, “Throughout this whole process and what I’ll continue to do is apply for as many protections and commitments on the property as possible.” He said he’s visited a Sabey Data Center site in Texas. Bain said he couldn’t hear any noise. He also wants to clarify that well water won’t be used in the project. But. the data center proposal has received pushback from residents concerned about pollution. Ashley Hooley lives a mile away from where the data center will be built. “I’m worried about the light pollution. The construction is supposed to take four years. I’m afraid of what that would mean for our quiet residential area.” Hooley worries about the possibility of property values decreasing. But the owner of DC BarberShop, whose shop is just across the street from the data center site, says he’s excited. Carl Davis said, “It’ll probably bring jobs to the area. Maybe bring confusion to why it’s here but growth is always good, I guess, especially for commercial businesses.” Davis also shared that the extra foot traffic could bring in more customers for his shop. Previous coverage Residents in Decatur Township protest proposed data center, citing pollution and noise concerns Senate leaders say more data center info should be public ...read more read less