Microsoft is reportedly considering building a data center in Kent County, Michigan, and has begun the local approval process for the project in Gaines Township. According to local media reports, the company recently submitted a rezoning request for property and a public hearing is expected to take place on the matter this week.
According to MLive, the property is located at 7174 Patterson Ave., northwest corner of Patterson Avenue and 76th Street, a suburb of Grand Rapids. The Gaines Township Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the request Thursday, December 18.
“Project plans including construction timelines are yet to be finalized,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an email to the publication, adding, “We continue to work with our local partners and are committed to sharing information when we have it.”
In October 2024, Microsoft purchased 316 acres at the site from office furniture manufacturer Steelcase for US$ 45.3 million. The purchase was part of ongoing search for development opportunities in the Michigan market.
The current rezoning request applies to a 40.5-acre parcel included in that purchase. Microsoft is seeking to change the zoning from large-scale planned unit development to light industrial, which would align it with an adjacent light industrial parcel to the south. Planning commission documents indicate the two parcels would be used together to support a data center.
Microsoft has not yet revealed detailed plans for the project finalization. The proposed project would add to a growing concentration of data center development in Gaines Township, which is already home to Michigan’s largest data center, operated by Switch. Township officials have previously noted that data centers can expand the local tax base while placing relatively limited demands on public services and infrastructure.