A data center campus is being proposed outside Chicago in Merrillville, Indiana.
Karis Critical has approached Merrillville about building a data center campus in the Lake County town.
The Merrillville Town Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve zoning that would allow a data center to be built at the site.
Set on a 180-acre site on 101st Avenue east of Deep River, the campus could total nine buildings, each costing $100 million. Timelines for development haven't been shared, and no end customer has been named.
Campus capacity hasn't been stated, but Karis is reportedly working to make sure it can get enough power from NIPSCO.
NWITimes reports the existing transmission lines can service the first two buildings but more transmission lines will have to be extended to build all nine buildings.
Merrillville’s newly formed Data Center Citizen Advisory Committee - which features nine residents, several town officials, and other development professionals - endorsed the proposal.
"I am extremely pleased with the turnout and the level of engagement from our citizens at our initial meeting,” Town Council President Rick Bella said. “The preparation and thoughtful participation they brought to the discussion were invaluable. We addressed many of the common concerns and misconceptions surrounding data centers, and it became evident that many of these fears have already been mitigated through the advancements in modern data center design."
Karis Critical has also developed a data center in Dekalb, Illinois.
“We are so thankful for the Town of Merrillville allowing us to participate in this advisory committee - it is very rare for a town to show this level of passion and engagement in the process, and we are so excited to continue moving this transformative project forward,” said Brett Rogers, Karis CIO/head of Data Centers.
“It is a testament to what makes Merrillville a leader in Northwest Indiana. We are optimistic that we can solve the power story on this project in the near term to really unlock a promising development in Merrillville – especially given our site’s existing infrastructure.”
