Gaines Township Data Center Hearing Finally Happening Today

For concerned residents of Gaines Township, today is a long time coming. The town hall to discuss Microsoft's proposed data center in Gaines is taking place tonight after being postponed twice, following an overwhelming turnout that led to the first meeting being canceled, with a second meeting planned in a larger building in February.

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But that meeting was also delayed after Microsoft requested a delay to better articulate and plan the tech company's goals for the area. Now, after over three months of cat-and-mouse, both sides are ready to talk.

Meeting Details

Here is what you need to know, per Gaines Charter Township:

Date: Tuesday, March 3rd

Time: 4-7:30 PM

Location: 3449 76th Street SE (Kindred Event Center)

Topics: Water, sustainability, energy, jobs, and community benefits.

Before attending the meeting, Microsoft is directing Gaines Township residents to a Microsoft page detailing more information on datacenters, detailing how datacenters use water, what is inside a datacenter, and how Microsoft will make a difference in the community.

Microsoft already owns the land, but when it was purchased, the land was designated for the Planned Unit Development-Large Scale Plan (PUD-LSP). The tech company is seeking to rezone it to Light Industrial (LI), which would allow a data center. If the rezone is not approved, a data center cannot be built there.

READ MORE: New OpenAI Data Center Coming to Michigan’s Ann Arbor Area

Given how many people have already turned out to protest this change, and how many places around the state are protesting various data center proposals, Microsoft's rezoning request is an uphill battle.