Residents urge Merrillville council to halt data center plans, demand independent studies

At a Town of Merrillville council meeting on May 12, a steady stream of residents urged the council to pause plans for large data centers in town, accusing developers and some nearby officials of secrecy and calling for independent impact studies on water, noise, health and tax impacts.

The nut of the criticism came from multiple speakers during the public-comment period, who said developer-led presentations and vendor representatives could not be relied on to assess local costs and benefits. An unnamed resident told the council, “Please put a halt to this and allow us to be heard — not all money is good money,” and repeatedly asked the council to convene ward-level meetings instead of developer forums. Marcella, who said she attended a recent meeting in Hobart, told councilors: “Please do not vote on data centers here. We do not want them.”

Why it matters: The debate touches land use, public health and local tax policy. Speakers said data centers often receive tax incentives, produce limited local hiring and can strain local utilities and well water. Lisa Valley, organizing director of Just Transition Northwest Indiana, framed the issue as one of environmental justice, saying the decisions about where to site infrastructure have disproportionately affected fence-line communities: “AI is not for us. It is for billionaires,” she said.

Council response and next steps: Council leaders pointed to two public opportunities for residents to get information: the Town of Merrillville Data Center Citizen Advisory Committee meeting on May 19 at 5:30 p.m., and an educational public forum hosted by the Northwest Indiana Forum on June 11 (doors at 5 p.m.; program at 5:30 p.m.). Councilman Sean Pettit said the 250-acre parcel east of Polycon and Modern Forge is the only town-owned site under preliminary review, and stressed that the parcel has not been rezoned. “That 250 has not been rezoned,” Pettit said, and he noted utilities (water and sewer) were previously extended down Colorado Street and could serve the site if selected.

Residents asked the council for independent, third-party impact studies covering traffic, environmental and health effects. Several speakers also raised procurement and transparency concerns: one speaker said multiple contracts awarded to a single construction company across agenda items looked suspicious and asked whether work had been split to avoid bidding rules.

What council staff said: Town Manager Mr. Griffin and other staff repeatedly emphasized statutory constraints and procedures. Griffin referenced Indiana statutes (IC 36-1-12 and IC 5-22) governing public works and purchasing and, in other agenda items, asked the council to pull two resolutions (26-18 and 26-20) for rewording because of language that raised procurement concerns.

Claims and evidence: Speakers cited a University of Michigan study and local examples (Michigan City, Hobart) to argue data centers can lower local tax revenue and provide limited job growth; those studies and health claims were presented by residents and not verified in meeting testimony. Patricia Corey, a longtime local resident, said wells could go dry near the proposed site; that concern was voiced by residents and framed as something the council should examine through independent hydrogeologic review.

What’s next: The council reiterated the two upcoming public events (May 19 advisory committee, June 11 educational seminar) and scheduled related meetings (RDC May 26, council May 26). Residents said they expect more targeted ward meetings; council members said any rezoning or formal approvals would follow statutory processes and public notice.

This article is based on public comment and council discussion at the Town of Merrillville council meeting; claims about health, economic impact and groundwater are assertions from speakers and were not independently verified in the meeting record. The council has not adopted land-use approvals or rezoning tied to a data center at this meeting.