For months, Franklin Township has been the latest front in Indiana’s ongoing clash between growth and community. At the heart of the debate was a zoning proposal tied to a Google data center — a project sold as bringing investment, jobs, and tech cachet to Indianapolis.
Tonight, that debate ended not with a vote, but with a withdrawal. The proposal is off the table, at least for now.
For supporters, this is a disappointment. They saw the project as a rare opportunity to draw a Fortune 500 tech giant into a part of the county that doesn’t always land marquee developments. To them, the tax base and infrastructure improvements outweighed the concerns.
For opponents, it’s a victory. Residents packed meetings and hearings, raising issues about traffic, environmental impact, noise, and whether a data center truly delivers the economic boost its glossy presentations promise. In the end, the pushback proved too strong to ignore.
Supporters like Councilor Ron Gibson praised the project’s potential investment, while opponents, including Councilor Michael-Paul Hart and Franklin Township resident Meredith Sharp, pushed back hard on traffic, environmental, and neighborhood concerns. In the end, community resistance carried the day — the proposal is off the table, at least for now.
You can hear them all in the audio above
