Data Centers Closing In On Historic Areas Of Indiana
This article highlights multiple data center projects across Indiana, sparking concerns about their impact on historic sites and the environment. Projects in Madison, Hammond, Granger, and Indianapolis are noted for encroaching on former historic grounds or sensitive areas, leading to local opposition. State officials and preservation groups are grappling with balancing economic development with historic preservation and environmental protection.
Data center developments are increasingly encroaching upon historic and environmentally sensitive areas across Indiana, sparking significant community concerns. The Jefferson Proving Ground, a former military site in Madison, is a potential location for a 7.1 million square foot data center, which has generated consistent local opposition since its proposal.
In Hammond, the city approved an expansion for the Digital Crossroad data center campus last year, built on the historic State Line Generating Plant site. Separately, a Microsoft data center project near Granger, planned for nearly 1,000 acres of St. Joe Farm land, has raised community concerns since its 2024 announcement. In Indianapolis, residents are opposing a proposed $2 billion DC Blox data center on a former Ford factory brownfield site, citing contamination risks and its proximity to the historic Irvington neighborhood.
Mark Dollase, vice president of preservation services at Indiana Landmarks, highlights the societal challenge of balancing historic preservation with economic growth. While Indiana Landmarks takes no official stance on data center development, the organization emphasizes the importance of preserving unique community character. Greg Sekula, southern regional director with Indiana Landmarks, referenced Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which mandates federal agencies consider project impacts on historic properties, potentially applicable to the Madison and Indianapolis projects. Dollase urged state elected officials to factor historic resources into their data center development decisions.