Microsoft Confirms Plans for New Data Center Development in Michigan's Kent County
December 15, 2025
After over a year of local speculation, Microsoft has officially confirmed its intention to develop a data center campus in Kent County, Michigan, marking a significant expansion of its infrastructure footprint in the state. The move underscores the intense competition among cloud and AI giants to secure land and power for the energy-intensive facilities that underpin modern digital services.
The confirmation follows Microsoft's recent submission of a rezoning request for a 40.5-acre property at 7174 Patterson Ave. in Gaines Township, a suburb of Grand Rapids. According to the local meeting agenda, the township’s planning commission will hold a crucial public hearing on the request on Thursday, December 18. This parcel was part of a larger 316-acre land acquisition Microsoft completed in October 2024, which it purchased from office furniture maker Steelcase for $45.3 million. At the time of that purchase, the company stated it was part of its "ongoing search for development opportunities in the Michigan market."
Microsoft is seeking to rezone this portion from large-scale planned unit development to light industrial, aligning it with the zoning of an adjacent parcel to the south. Planning commission documents indicate the combined land will be used to support a data center development. However, in an email statement to MLive/The Grand Rapids Press, a Microsoft spokesperson noted that formal plans are not yet finalized. "Project plans including construction timelines are yet to be finalized," the spokesperson said. "We continue to work with our local partners and are committed to sharing information when we have it."
The development highlights the growing footprint of data centers, which are large-scale facilities housing servers and network equipment critical for cloud computing and artificial intelligence. These complexes require substantial electricity and water resources for operation and cooling, making site selection a complex process that often draws significant public attention. Across Michigan, as in other states, community meetings regarding proposed data centers have seen high turnout from residents concerned about local impact. Microsoft's planned entry into Kent County is a clear signal of the continued strategic investment by major tech firms in the infrastructure needed to power the next generation of AI and cloud services.
Source: mlive
