How a Fort Wayne data center may show Sullivan's future
News Clip5:07WTWO WAWV TV·Fort Wayne, Allen County, IN·5/11/2026
The video examines a Google data center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as a potential model for a proposed data center in Sullivan County. Residents near the Fort Wayne facility, known as Project Zodiac, express concerns about increased traffic, potential air and water pollution from diesel generators, and constant light. Despite resident complaints, the City of Fort Wayne highlights the economic benefits, including construction jobs, high-paying full-time jobs, and significant tax revenue from the project.
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Gov: City of Fort Wayne
WTWO WAWV TV's Patrice Dayton reported from Fort Wayne, Indiana, on a Google data center, dubbed "Project Zodiac," to explore how it might prefigure future developments in Sullivan County. The massive $2 billion data center campus, intended to support Google Cloud and AI services, spans almost 900 acres and is located just one-tenth of a mile from long-time residents like 69-year-old Christine Smith and her friend Catherine Dickinson. Smith, whose family has lived in the southeast Fort Wayne neighborhood since the 1880s, expressed significant concerns about the project's impact.
According to Smith, traffic has increased two to three times, making conversation outdoors difficult. She also voiced worries about the environmental impact of 149 newly approved diesel generators, fearing hazardous air pollution and constant light at night, which has already limited their outdoor activities. Smith additionally fears potential well water contamination. She lamented, "There's no living with this. I'm just really going to have to move."
Conversely, Jonathan Lights, the Community Development Director for the City of Fort Wayne, highlighted the economic benefits of Project Zodiac. He noted the project generated over a thousand construction jobs, with 65% local labor, and is expected to create 200 high-paying full-time jobs exceeding the county's median wage. Lights also emphasized the financial windfall for the city, noting that Google received a $55.5 million tax abatement over ten years but agreed to pay at least $1 million annually in supplemental property tax. This revenue, projected to reach $5.5 to $6 million over time, will benefit the rural community, reducing the tax burden on local residents. The report noted that Indiana is rapidly becoming a data center hub, with over 100 centers operating or proposed, though most are smaller and less obtrusive than Fort Wayne's Google facility. Security around the Google property is extremely tight, and the news crew was denied access.