Google wins zoning approval for huge data center near Detroit airport
The Van Buren Township Planning Commission voted 5-1 to approve Google’s final site plan for Project Cannoli, a 282-acre hyperscale data center near Detroit Metro Airport. Residents opposed the project over noise, dust, construction impacts and utility use, but the project will proceed with Google as owner and operator and Panattoni managing construction.
The Van Buren Township Planning Commission approved Google’s final site plan for Project Cannoli by a 5-1 vote after nearly an hour of public comment. The proposed 282-acre hyperscale data center will be built between I-94 and I-275, about four miles west of Detroit Metro Airport, on land that includes fields, woods and wetlands. Google will own and operate the facility, while Panattoni Development Company is managing construction and partnering with Detroit-based Walbridge Construction.
Local officials and developers described the project as a multibillion-dollar investment that could generate substantial tax revenue, contracts and public-service funding. Wayne County and Van Buren Township approved a $125 million tax break, while Google agreed to provide $15 million to each government. Nearby residents continued to criticize the project, citing construction dust, noise, utility impacts and concerns about the benefits to the community, while supporters said it would become the township’s largest taxpayer and create a significant economic opportunity.