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Residents and council discuss three proposed data centers; officials describe locations, residents seek tax and service commitments
Summary
Public commenters said three developers have approached the town about data centers; residents expressed mixed views on economic benefits, and asked for guarantees that development will fund services such as fire and parks.
At the meeting, several residents raised questions and concerns about three proposed data-center developments that council members said developers have approached the Town of Merrillville about.
Rick Lafever, who identified himself from the Fourth Ward, asked whether three separate data-center projects were under consideration and whether the town was bound by nondisclosure agreements. "Is that true?" he asked. President Ballard replied, "No. We've been approached by three different developers. That's correct."
Lafever described possible locations mentioned to him: a site on the north side of 101st Avenue east of Beaver Dam Ditch (near a large Crow Holdings building); a parcel behind Polycon Industries and Modern Forge with access from Clay Street or Harms Road; and a 96-acre parcel in Ameriplex south of 90 Third Avenue behind Pinnacle Hospital that he said is owned by the Mizner Group.
Another resident, identified in the record as M. S. Arch of E. 68 Place, urged the council not to overstate water and electricity concerns. "This is a business. A business is going to want to make money. And it's not going to waste electricity, and it's not going to waste water," Arch said, calling data centers "a windfall" for the community.
Other public commenters sought clearer commitments about how revenue from large developments would be shared with the community. One commenter asked that taxes or negotiated benefits be dedicated to improving staffing and pay for the fire and police departments and to parks and recreation projects. Amy Schlumberger questioned borrowing $15,000,000 for a new fire station if staffing remains inadequate.
Councilor Pettit and Clerk-Treasurer Mr. January responded with clarifications: Pettit said the planned $15 million fire station is intended to replace an existing station and that the town expects to staff it with the current mix of full-time, paid on-call and volunteer personnel. Pettit also said the $15 million is part of a larger $33 million RDA bond issue and that the debt service was structured to come from redevelopment-area (TIF) allocation areas so it would not fall on the general taxpayer base.
No formal action on the data-center proposals was taken at the meeting. Council members said developers had approached the town; additional details, agreements and any formal proposals would come later if developers advance plans and file applications.
Why it matters: Large data centers can change local demand for utilities, affect property-tax arrangements and trigger requests for public investments in roads, emergency services and drainage. Residents at the meeting sought commitments that the benefits of development would be shared with longtime residents and public safety services would be supported.
What’s next: Town staff and councilors indicated developers have made initial approaches; the council did not vote on any data-center applications. Residents and councilors requested more communication and clarity about tax-abatement terms and how development revenue would be allocated to town services.
