Residents, Political Candidates Share Their Thoughts On Microsoft MOU
St. Joseph County officials approved a $65 million memorandum of understanding with Microsoft to fund design, property acquisition, and water and sewer infrastructure for the company’s planned data center in Granger. Residents, political candidates, and environmental activists opposed the agreement, while the County Council separately advanced a preliminary ban on future hyperscale data centers in unincorporated areas.
The St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission and Board of Commissioners approved a second memorandum of understanding with Microsoft for its planned data center in Granger. The $65 million agreement, funded by Microsoft, includes construction design, property acquisition, new water and sanitary sewer lines, and a lift station serving the project area.
Residents and political candidates, including County Council candidate Jan Cervelli, criticized the approval process and urged officials to delay or reject the agreement. Environmental activist Steven Francis and We Make Indiana organizer Andre Stoner said the project could accelerate farmland loss, expand infrastructure for broader development, and move forward without adequate public input.
Despite the opposition, Commissioner Anthony Hazen said Microsoft would proceed and could shift development benefits to Mishawaka if the county did not act. Separately, the St. Joseph County Council voted 6-3 on a preliminary resolution to ban additional hyperscale data centers in unincorporated parts of the county, while a proposed expansion of the AM General Economic Development Area remains pending.