(La Porte, IN) - The La Porte City Council last night voted unanimously to annex close to 1,300 acres of farmland for a second Microsoft data center.

 

The request to annex was made by the current owners of the land so they can sell their property to Microsoft, which recently began moving ground for the first data center on close to 500 acres of farmland adjacent to the expansion site.

 

A second data center will result in even more property tax revenue than the tens of millions of dollars a year already projected for collection by the city and schools from the first data center development.

 

The city will also collect $17 million in a one-time payment from the sale of its land to Microsoft.  Over 100 acres of city-owned land used for spreading solids from the waste water treatment plant is included in the close to 1,300 acres being annexed and sold to Microsoft. 

 

La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody urged the city council to approve the annexation in what he felt was an easy decision that will benefit current residents and future generations.

 

“The resources that will come from this caliber of investment are unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the history of the city of La Porte,” he said.

 

Spencer Summers was among the La Porte residents speaking in favor of the annexation.

 

“Through a partnership with Microsoft, our city can return to being a city of growth.  A city our children want to be in and have an opportunity to thrive,” he said.

 

The concerns expressed by opponents included noise. 

 

Local officials say the noise level will be equivalent to the sound of a kitchen refrigerator running but that didn’t convince some nearby residents like Eric Beal, who lives on 13^th street.

 

“I broke my back to have a nice quiet life in La Porte and not have to deal with stuff like that right in my yard,” said Beal, who lives about a mile from the proposed data center expansion site.

 

Bert Cook, Executive Director of the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, said much of the money from Microsoft will begin flowing to the city and schools on an annual basis in 2029.