Google Data Center — Franklin Township, Indianapolis
Franklin Township, Marion County, Indiana
Critical Risk
Last updated 2026-03-29
Trajectory evidence: Five Indiana counties enacted data center moratoriums since 2025. Citizens Action Coalition called for statewide moratorium. HB 1333 (allowing DCs on agricultural land) died in committee.
Critical Risk
Dimension Breakdown
Four dimensions that determine entitlement feasibility.
Regulatory Risk
Full rezoning required from D-A/C-4/SU-43 to C-S. Flood overlay zones added independent regulatory complexity. Three sequential approvals needed: MDC hearing examiner, MDC commission vote, and City-County Council.
Infrastructure Readiness
AES Indiana serves the area with 3.9 GW across three plants. A single hyperscaler could ramp up by 1 GW. AES stated it has electricity for currently proposed DCs but may need gas turbines by 2030.
Opposition Density
Organized multi-group coalition: Protect Franklin Township (Andrew Filler) and Franklin Township Civic League. Change.org petition gathered 2,550+ signatures. 75+ remonstrators at MDC and hundreds at City-County Council. 17 of 25 Council members publicly opposed.
Approval Timeline
Petition filed March 2025, withdrawn September 2025 — 6 months with no approval achieved. Full pathway would have taken 9-12+ months even without opposition delays.
Key Findings
What the record shows.
Deep Meadow Ventures LLC (Google) filed to rezone 467.66 acres from D-A/C-4/SU-43 to C-S in Franklin Township.
MDC Hearing Examiner Agenda, April 10, 202517 of 25 City-County Council members — including all 6 Republicans — publicly opposed the project.
Mirror Indy: Google data center draws oppositionGoogle withdrew the petition on September 22, 2025, minutes before the Council vote.
WTHR: Google Pulls Franklin Township Data Center PlanFive Indiana counties (Marshall, White, Putnam, Fulton, Starke) enacted data center moratoriums between February 2025 and March 2026.
IBJ: 3 counties put moratoriums on data center projectsKey Officials
The decision-makers on record.
Michael-Paul Hart
City-County Councilor, District 20
Documented Record
Used council call-down process to force petition to full council vote after MDC approved 8-1.
Documented position based on public record.
Indianapolis City-County Council
Legislative body
Documented Record
17 of 25 members publicly opposed the project.
Documented position based on public record.
Opposition Profile
Who is organizing.
Protect Franklin Township — organized by Andrew Filler, led sustained campaign
Franklin Township Civic League — participated in hearings and opposition materials
Change.org petition gathered 2,550+ signatures
Citizens Action Coalition called for statewide moratorium
Billboards purchased across Indianapolis opposing the project
Timeline
How it unfolded.
June 12, 2025
MDC hearing examiner heard the petition, continued to June 26.
August 20, 2025
MDC voted 8-1 to approve rezoning and forward to Council.
September 22, 2025
Google withdrew the petition minutes before Council vote.
Known Risks
What can go wrong.
Full rezoning required with flood overlay complexity
Organized multi-group coalition with 2,550+ petition signatures
17 of 25 Council members publicly opposed
Five Indiana county moratoriums signal statewide hostility
Recommendation
Critical Risk — Score 13/100
Critical Risk. Google withdrew after supermajority Council opposition. Indiana moratorium wave makes the state increasingly hostile for agricultural-land data center siting.
Sources
Every claim cited.
Get your site scored before the surprises start.
Zoning posture, approval pathway, community risk, and comparable outcomes. Sourced and scored by close of day, not months.
