INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indianapolis City-County Council will make the final vote on whether to rezone 468 acres of farmland in Franklin Township for a $1 billion Google data center Monday. 

17 Councilors have publicly stated their intention to vote against rezoning, led by Republican Michael-Paul Hart, who called down the vote so the council could wield the ultimate approval. 

When asked on Sunday whether he’s still confident a majority of the council will oppose the project, Hart said “I still feel optimistic” in a text to I-Team 8.

Democrat Ron Gibson, the lone councilor to publicly support the project, said he expects some votes to flip before the final decision. 

There will be a public hearing ahead of the vote. The petitioner, representatives for Google, and the “remonstrators” opposing the development, will be given 20 minutes each to make their case. 

The public can attend Monday’s 7 p.m. hearing in person inside the City-County Building at 200 East Washington Street or stream it online. 

An attorney and engineer for Google joined a required meeting with the remonstrator group, Councilor Hart, and the City-Council attorney on Wednesday to make any last-minute adjustments to paperwork and see if a compromise could be reached. 

Hart told I-Team 8 the two sides “didn’t get anywhere” and said he would spend the weekend calling councilors, asking them to “hold the line”. 

Representatives from Google, AES, and Indianapolis Economic Development Inc. have privately met with some councilors to discuss the project. And I-Team 8’s Tim Spears learned Google invited councilors to a private tour of one of its data centers in Ohio, scheduled the same day as its mandatory meeting with the remonstrators. It’s not clear whether anyone on the City-County Council took the tour, and some have claimed they never received an invitation. 

Google has declined I-Team 8’s repeated interview requests, saying in a statement, “These are complex projects and development of the site is subject to a variety of factors. We appreciate the collaboration with both local and state leadership as we evaluate the opportunity together.”

Opposition for the data center has focused on potential environmental impacts, strain on utilities, quality of life, and questions around whether Google’s investment is the best economic deal available for the property. 

According to a project description submitted to the Metropolitan Development Commission of Marion County, the first building of the development will see $314 million of real property investment by December 31, 2030, and will create at least 50 new full-time jobs over five years. 

The full site plan of the development includes four total buildings, once complete. A Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) staff report said the site is planned to use 2 to 3 million gallons of water per day. DMD staff recommended approval of the project subject to several conditions, including AES and Citizens Energy Group confirming they could meet utility needs.

The property sellers told I-Team 8 they didn’t initially know it was Google offering to buy the land or that it would be used for a data center, but a deal was reached once they felt comfortable it was the best option available for the farmland. 

Google’s purchase of the Franklin Township property is contingent on rezoning being approved.

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