Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approves Decatur Township data center proposal

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission has granted final approval for a 900,000-square-foot data center project located along Kentucky Avenue and Camby Road in Decatur Township. This decision follows months of community pushback, with neighbors expressing outrage that their concerns were not adequately addressed. STAY BE, the Washington-based company behind the proposal, has promised to implement plans to mitigate environmental and economic impacts. These include a closed-loop water system and fully funded upgrades to the local electrical grid. The company also projects that the two-building project will create numerous long-term construction and maintenance jobs, describing it as one of the largest investments in Indianapolis's history. Despite the approval, residents, organized under "Protect a Gator Township," have vowed to continue their fight, stating that their battle is far from over. They plan to file a judicial review of the proposal, which, if successful, could bar STAY BE from moving forward with development. This approval comes amidst a broader trend of multiple AI data centers being announced and planned across Indiana.