(WXYZ) — A group of Washington Township residents took to the streets on Sunday to protest a proposed data center. The project would transform 312 acres into a technical campus and data center.
This is just one of many proposed data centers in metro Detroit. You can see more stories about proposed data centers in metro Detroit here.
“We want to raise awareness in our communities that there is a hyperscale data center coming into our community or trying to come in," Corrine Graper, a Washington Township resident, said. “A lot of our residents still aren’t aware about this and we are very concerned about the environmental and potential health impacts to our community.”
Graper was one of more than a dozen people who came out Sunday to protest against the data center proposed for the area of 32 Mile and -53.
“Two of my children will be going to school within a couple of miles of this data center and that very much concerns me with the potential air pollution from the diesel backup generators that these data centers use," Graper said.
California-based real estate company Prologis is proposed the "32 Mile Technical Campus" project on 312 acres of land. According to online documents, the company cited Michigan's tax incentives, growth of AI technologies and access to infrastructure as reasons the land is desireable.
“I won’t say I’m opposed to improved technology and the fact that we might need it, but the problem, you need to have some restrictions," Chris Djuric said. "Me personally, I think these need to be installed within a five-mile buffer within any residence, any school.”
Community members have expressed concerns about the amount of water the data center will use. Typically, water is used to cool down the technology and prevent it from overheating.
The townshp has addressed some concerns online stating the project would not need to draw groundwater and is not expected to raise water or sewer rates.
Prologis' zoning request to change the property from agricultural residential to industrial research technology is still being considered by the township's planning commission.
