GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — As Microsoft moves forward with a proposed data center in southern Kent County, the company is aiming to buy more land around the hundreds of acres it already owns.
Microsoft put in an offer on 57.8 acres of property north of the 365 acres it already owns at the corner of 76th Street and Patterson Avenue, according to Gaines Township Development Director Dan Wells. The sale hasn't been finalized, Wells told FOX 17.
Microsoft is moving forward with the development of a data center campus on the property. It held a community meeting for neighbors to gather more information on the proposal on March 3.
Kent
Microsoft hosts discussions on Gaines Township data center
The new piece of land Microsoft wants to buy sits on 68th Street, which could provide the company another access point to the future data center.
Microsoft filed an application to rezone the 57.8 acres on Thursday, March 19, asking the township to change it to light industrial, said Wells. He called the request "conditional," telling FOX 17 the township will only accept the request if Microsoft addresses the concerns of neighbors. Many people addressed the situation during recent meetings.
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The next Gaines Township Planning Commission meeting, where the Microsoft rezoning request will be considered, is set for April 15 at 6 p.m. Because of an expected large crowd, the meeting will be held at South Christian High School at 7979 Kalamazoo Avenue SE, Byron Center, MI 49315.
