"County, not corporate" demonstrators claim victory in planning battle
Plans for a $2 billion data center in Porter County, Indiana, have been withdrawn in the face of opposition from residents.
QTS had hoped to build the campus in Union Township, on 800 acres of land near the Wheeler High School. But the Blackstone-owned firm has withdrawn its rezoning request for the land after local people voiced concerns about the scheme.
Hundreds of residents attended a public meeting about the plans, organized by the Porter County local authority and held at the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso. Those present raised issues around energy usage, environmental impact, and public health. Many wore t-shirts bearing the slogan, “County, not corporate.”
Following the meeting, QTS decided to back out of the project.
In a statement reported by NWI Times, QTS said: "Following ongoing communication with the county throughout the development process and a thorough evaluation, we have determined not to proceed with the project in Porter County, as the conditions proposed would be economically challenging for a successful and sustainable development compared to other present opportunities. We sincerely appreciate the community’s engagement."
The decision was met with frustration by some local politicians, who were keen to continue the debate about the scheme’s merits.
Speaking to the NWI Times, Porter County commissioner Jim Biggs said: “I wish it had been heard in its entirety at the county level. Everybody, including residents, could hear exactly what benefits, if any, it could have for Union Township and county government, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case."
Biggs added that he felt poor communication from QTS had scuppered the project. "There was no interaction with the community," he said. "They wanted to come into the community and rezone 800 acres, which is a big project. You've got to come in with a game plan. That's paramount. Our role in county government is to protect the best interests of the public, not to sell ideas like data centers to our residents."
Indiana has been flagged as an emerging data center market by commercial property firm CBRE, while Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have all announced data center builds in the state, specifically in New Carlisle, Mishawaka, and Fort Wayne, respectively. Amazon is also said to be developing in Portage.
However, some projects are being blocked, with Agincourt's plan for a data center in Valparaiso being rejected by the local authority earlier this year.
Source: DCD
