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A unidentified tech company has plans to build a major data center campus on a 468-acre site along South Post Road on the far-southeast side of Indianapolis.
The complex would be the largest data center in Indianapolis if plans come to fruition. It would be built on property between South Post Road to the west; Davis Road to the east; Troy Avenue to the north; and Interstate 74 and Vandergriff Road to the south.
An entity called Deep Meadow Ventures LLC has submitted a request to rezone the property as C-S, or a special commercial district, which would allow the petitioner build a data center. The property consists of 15 different parcels that are currently zoned for either agricultural and residential use or for community/regional commercial uses such as retail.
During a community meeting Wednesday evening hosted by the Franklin Township Civic League, residents got their first chance to hear about the project and ask questions. About 150 people showed up to the meeting, which took place at the Civic League’s community building in Wanamaker.
Indianapolis attorney Joe Calderon, who is representing the proposed data center campus’ unnamed operator, presented an overview of the project. He was joined by engineers Matthew Stypula and Brian Rossi of Columbus, Ohio-based EMH&T, an engineering firm also involved with the project.
In his presentation, Calderon described a development that would have one building initially and up to four buildings constructed over the next several years, depending on market demand. The main entrance would be on Post Road.
The site would create about 100 jobs per building, or up to 400 jobs, each with annual salaries of about $100,000, Calderon said.
The property would be buffered by earthen berms of 10 feet to 15 feet tall planted with trees, Calderon said.
Calderon said power to the site would be supplied by utility provider AES, which has an electric transmission line that runs through the property. Water would be supplied by Citizens Energy Group.
Data centers—essentially buildings filled with computer systems and networking equipment that run round the clock—are heavy power users. They can also be heavy water users if they use water-cooled systems rather than air-cooled systems to keep their equipment from overheating.
Overall, the presentation outlined the project in broad strokes rather than in detail. Because the project is still in its early stages, Calderon told the group, “We know that there will be questions that we cannot answer tonight.”
One of the missing details: The name of the company behind the project.
Calderon described that company as a U.S.-based, publicly traded Fortune 100 company that prefers to remain anonymous as it goes through its due diligence for the project.
“This is an experienced company with the financial wherewithal to get this done,” he said, adding that attorney-client privilege prevents him from disclosing the company’s name.
A few attendees expressed frustration that the company is not disclosing its name.
Cathy Burton, the Civic League’s secretary and chairman of the group’s land use committee, advised Calderon to convey that message to his client.
“That lack of transparency is going to work against them,” Burton told the attorney.
Other attendees asked about 30 other questions during the meeting. Those questions touched a variety of topics, including the environmental and wildlife impact of the project to what economic incentives the project might receive to how the project might affect stormwater management on the property, some of which is in a floodway district.
Calderon and the engineers did not have specific answers to many of these questions, saying that environmental studies, traffic studies and noise studies have yet to be done for the project.
Wednesday’s meeting represented an early step in the process. Additional community meetings are scheduled for April 2 and April 16. After that, the rezoning request will go before the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission for a public hearing.
Burton said the public hearing will take place no earlier than May 15.
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Oh, wow! Truly visionary! Possibly, almost one whole job per acre. What a great use for great use for our urban area land! I can’t wait for see use replace open space with giant, ugly windowless monoliths that contribute nothing to urban vitality. JUST KIDDING! Someone please kill this. This is the most terrible kind of deal that will benefit little compared to huge cost to society in our region. ANY other option, residential, commercial, or keeping open space…This would be a suckers bet if there ever was one. ANYTHING would be better than taking this life-sucking vampire squid wrapping around our face and jamming its blood funnel into what smells like money. Don’t fall for this sucker pitch. The only good answer to this is NO-NO-NO. Indy, DO NOT entertain this idea, DO NOT pass go, DO NOT collect $200. INDY, DO BETTER!
At this point, Indianapolis should take any opportunity that allows them to collect more tax revenue especially property tax revenue.
AES Indiana will be laughing all of the way to the bank. Any additional investments to handle the load will just be passed on to all of the Indianapolis ratepayers as the IURC will just rubber stamp any capital investment.
How about constructing an underground facility. It helps with temperature control and with a suitable roof design you could still maybe build slab homes on it. There is a working 5 story limestone mine under part of Carmel with car dealers and homes above.
It could work and not be an eyesore.
What are the incentives to get this here? What are the long term ramifications? What if there’s better data storage solutions in the next few years that make these centers obsolete?
I’m not necessarily opposed but let’s get some answers
Stae law makers would like to see Indiana one big data center with mis-guided tax incentives.
Thanks to the IEDC, Indiana has become the new ‘cheap’ and easy place for investment groups and mega data tech companies to assimilate their massive use and abuse of electricity and water for the sake of quicker artificial intelligence. The only gains are eventual more property taxes and some jobs during construction. Otherwise no real contribution to our communities. Pittsboro and Monrovia just approved their proposed mega sites. Indy doesn’t really need to install a third one.
Indy’s and Indiana’s strategy is too much based on the idea that being cheap is the way to attract business. You may get something like a server farm that way, but it sure doesn’t attract lots of really good jobs. Finance, tech, corporate HQs, and biotech and new pharma jobs go disproportionately to where people want to live—not where land is a bargain and places are crummy. Austin, Denver, Charlotte, and Nashville thrive by focusing on quality of life including vibrant, walkable districts, better streets, parks, et cetera and they are getting way more good new and high powered jobs in those areas than we are. Yes they have certain other advantages, but we aren’t make the best go or it here. We give away 468 acres for a server farm that creates one job per acre. This is bargain-bin urban planning and economic development at its worst.
I’d be very surprised if this project generated anywhere near 400 jobs. Most data centers employ vastly fewer people. I continue to believe that data centers are not where our state should be looking to incentivize development. What if, instead we worked to attract a satellite office of this company?
Exactly. They accidentally added an extra zero. It will be more like 40 jobs.
Without transparency this project should not even be considered for approval.