GAINES TWP., Mich — A new data center may be coming to Gaines Township, and neighbors will have a chance to weigh in on the proposal tonight.
The land in question is a parcel on Patterson Ave. SE, between 68th and 76th.
Microsoft bought more than 300 acres in August of last year with support from Grand Rapids-based nonprofit The Right Place. During that acquisition, The Right Place said the land was purchased for a potential data center but did not announce any specific development plans.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Microsoft confirms major land purchase in Kent Co. for possible data center
Tonight at 7 p.m., the Gaines Township Planning Commission will vote on taking steps to rezone around 40 acres of the plot from "planned unit development" to "light industrial," which would theoretically allow Microsoft to build a data center there. You can take a look at the agenda packet here.
Previous meetings in connection to data center discussions in Sparta and Lowell this month have been packed with neighbors, some with concerns over high electricity and water usage in connection to running data centers.
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