The Daily Dig
Google has confirmed the acquisition of Project Maize in Michigan City, Indiana, a $832 million data center development taking shape at 402 Royal Road on the site of the former Federal Mogul Corp. facility. The property, owned by Phoenix Investors since 2022, had been sitting empty for more than 15 years before the project moved forward.
The redevelopment repurposes the existing structure on M-1 Industrial-zoned land, converting a long-dormant brownfield into active digital infrastructure. Google has committed to covering 100% of the cost of power for the site and any infrastructure requirements tied to its operations, along with compliance with federal, state, and local standards on noise, radiation levels, and EMF.
The Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City projects 30-plus high-skill jobs tied to the data center, alongside broader investment in tech workforce development through local schools, colleges, and nonprofits. Google has also committed to hiring local trades within reason and creating opportunities for local residents. The project has not been without friction, however. Construction workers previously staged protests over the reported use of out-of-state labor.
The Michigan City Common Council approved four resolutions to advance the project following months of negotiations, community input, field trips to data center facilities, and public presentations. Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch credited the council for working through what she described as a complicated and at times controversial approval process.
The expected completion date is set for the beginning of 2027.
Snapshot:
Project Name: Project Maize
Acquiring Company: Google
Location: 402 Royal Road, Michigan City, Indiana
Site Owner (Pre-Acquisition): Phoenix Investors (since 2022)
Former Use: Federal Mogul Corp. facility
Site History: Vacant for more than 15 years
Project Type: Data center redevelopment (brownfield reuse)
Project Value: $832 million
Zoning: M-1 Industrial
Jobs Created: 30-plus high-skill positions
Labor Commitment: Local trades hiring within reason; local resident opportunities
Labor Controversy: Protests from construction workers over use of out-of-state labor
Infrastructure Commitment: Google paying 100% of power and site infrastructure costs
Compliance Commitments: Noise, radiation, and EMF levels per federal, state, and local standards
Approval: Michigan City Common Council approved four resolutions
Community Partner: Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City
Status: Development underway following acquisition confirmation
TheJobWalk Thoughts
The local trades commitment is the line that matters most to subs and suppliers in this region. "Within reason" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and given that protests over out-of-state labor already happened, trade contractors should not be waiting to be found. Getting in front of the project team now is far more likely to produce work than waiting for a formal bid solicitation.
A $832 million brownfield reuse at this scale is also a procurement signal worth paying attention to. Data center fit-out is sequencing-intensive and moves fast once it gets going. Electrical, mechanical, and structural subs across the Midwest that are not already tracking the next wave of data center work are going to find themselves playing catch-up.
