FRANKFORT, IN — After a rezone request to make way for a data center was pulled just 24 hours before going before the Frankfort City Planning Commission, the developer says plans are still moving forward for the proposed construction.
Doug Swain, president of Logistix, a land development company that specializes in the buildouts of data centers, said the decision to pull the request for rezoning about 833 acres came after conversations with Frankfort city leaders, as well as internal discussions.
“We aren’t shelving the project,” Swain said. “We are just deciding to pursue this in the county rather than bringing it into the city.”
After withdrawing the petition, Swain said the change in plans would set the project’s timeline back by only about a month. Should rezoning of the acreage be approved by Clinton County Area Plan and the county commissioners, a groundbreaking on the project could occur in the late spring or early summer of 2026.
Just hours before the petition was pulled, Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets said in a statement aimed at addressing negative reactions to the project that the proposed development is in a county-controlled TIF district and not within the city’s jurisdiction. But if the developer petitions for the city to annex it, then the city’s common council would be able to vote on that.
“This is not about backroom deals or hidden agendas,” she said. “This is about navigating a complex process with transparency, responsibility and community at the center.”
A portion of the land included in the project, Swain said, is within the city of Frankfort, while the remainder is in the county. Water for the development would still be serviced by the city of Frankfort, Swain said, while electricity would be serviced by Tipmont. Conversations with Tipmont to determine the process of servicing the data center, estimated to run at over 300 megawatts, are still ongoing.
Swain said the several companies who have expressed “serious” interest in the Frankfort site are understanding of “heightened sensitivity” toward the use of water. Water needs from companies tend to vary, Swain said, with some groups requiring “very little” to operate.
Since news broke about the potential development of a data center in Clinton County, Swain said he has read some of the posts made across social media, identifying concerns the community has expressed.
“A lot of the posts I see just aren’t accurate,” Swain said. “There is a lot of old, outdated info with articles pertaining to areas that don’t have the same circumstances as what we have here. We want to make sure everyone’s concerns are addressed, and we will continue to try to do that through holding public information sessions and future opportunities.”
Swain said current plans will see the request for rezone made in September, as the company aims to answer questions and solidify plans for the proposal.
“Our perspective on this is that the revenue this will generate for the city and county is significant in terms of creating jobs and creating a tech environment. This really is protecting jobs of the future,” Swain said. “This will create a magnet and a hub for Frankfort for growth. There are just a lot of positives here, and I think it’s unfortunate that articles tend to put this in a bad light.”
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Data center plans in Frankfort not shelved, developer says, after rezone request pulled
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
