Irvington Data Center Seeks $113M In Tax Breaks, Councilors Debate Benefits
DC BLOX is seeking an estimated $113 million in tax abatements for a proposed 320,000-square-foot data center campus east of Irvington in Indianapolis. Councilors are divided over whether the incentives provide enough benefits to nearby communities, and the package must undergo committee and Metropolitan Development Commission review.
DC BLOX has proposed a two-building, 320,000-square-foot data center campus on a former Ford plant site east of Irvington. The company and its tenants could receive an estimated $113 million in property-tax abatements over 10 years in exchange for nearly $15 million in community investments, including funding for Washington Square Mall redevelopment and workforce development. The project represents nearly $1.8 billion in planned investment and is expected to create 21 permanent jobs, in addition to construction employment.
Republican Councilor Michael-Paul Hart supports the incentives, while Democratic Councilor Andy Nielsen has questioned directing millions of dollars toward the mall rather than the neighborhoods closest to the site. The Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee is scheduled to discuss the package before a full council decision, and the Metropolitan Development Commission must also approve the abatements. The land-use petition was approved in July despite opposition from some Irvington residents, who cited noise, quality-of-life concerns and the facilities' heavy power consumption. Indianapolis later enacted a moratorium on new data centers through the end of 2027.