Wayne Co. exec vetoes Van Buren Twp.'s $125M data center tax break
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans has vetoed a $125 million tax incentive package and community benefits agreement for a proposed hyperscale data center in Van Buren Township, citing a rushed process and insufficient public input. The project, known as "Project Cannoli," involves developer Panattoni and Google, and has drawn significant local opposition due to concerns about resource consumption and environmental impacts, leading to a recall effort against township officials.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans announced on September 25 that he has vetoed a proposed $125 million tax incentive package and a community benefits agreement for a hyperscale data center project in Van Buren Township, Michigan. Evans criticized the process as "rushed," alleging that Google pressured Wayne County for a quick decision without allowing for proper public input or independent analysis of the project's potential long-term impacts on residents, infrastructure, water, energy resources, and the environment.
The project, dubbed "Project Cannoli," is a massive 282-acre facility planned by developer Panattoni for Google, which would include three data processing buildings, an administrative building, and two network service buildings. Township officials had approved the $125 million in tax incentives in May, with the township's Planning Commission having granted preliminary approval in February and a final site plan vote anticipated on October 14. County Commission Chair Alisha Bell, a Detroit Democrat, expressed disappointment with the veto, calling the negotiated package "lucrative" for the county.
Local residents have voiced strong opposition, raising concerns about the project's projected daily water usage of 2 million to 3.6 million gallons, one gigawatt of power consumption, noise pollution, and potential effects on utility costs. Google and DTE have proposed a 2.7-gigawatt portfolio of renewable energy to support the facility. The intense opposition has escalated to a recall effort against nine key Van Buren Township elected officials, including the supervisor and the entire Board of Trustees. Wayne County's election commission has approved the language for the recall petitions, a decision that the attorney representing the township officials plans to appeal.