April 26 (UPI) — Google is growing its data footprint in Indiana with plans for a $2 billion data center in Fort Wayne, the tech giant announced Friday.
The company broke ground Friday on the project, which will include a new data center and operational support complex on the southwest side of Fort Wayne.
Joe Kava, vice president of global data centers for Google, said the company is “thrilled” to announce its investment in Fort Wayne.
“Our decision to make a commitment of this magnitude is a true testament to the strategic and collaborative nature of many leaders across Indiana, Allen County, and, particularly, Fort Wayne. Together, Fort Wayne and Google will help power the digital future, including AI innovation across our enterprise and consumer services.”
The price tag is more than double the original amount Google floated when it announced its involvement in January.
City officials announced the development, first dubbed “Project Zodiac” in October, but Google wasn’t confirmed as the company behind Project Zodiac until months later.
The company said the development will support its AI innovations and growing Google Cloud business for customers around the world.
The new complex is expected to create about 200 jobs during the next several years, including in areas such as facilities, data center technicians, and support services such as security, catering and groundskeeping, according to Google.
Fort Wayne, located about 120 miles northeast of Indianapolis, is a city not commonly associated with data center development. Local operators include Indiana Data Center, Lifeline, and SafeHouse.
“There’s never been a better time to be in Fort Wayne,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker. “This investment from Google isn’t just about infrastructure or economic development; it’s about building a stronger tomorrow, together.”
Google also announced a collaboration with Indiana Michigan Power to bring new clean energy infrastructure to the local power grid, in support of the company’s 2030 goal to run all of its data centers and campuses on carbon-free energy.
“Indiana has made it a strategic priority to cultivate the economy of the future, and we’re already seeing the impact of our work thanks to the partnership of companies like Google,” said Gov. Eric Holcomb. “Not only is Google choosing Indiana to power its global AI and cloud infrastructure, but we’re thrilled to see the company already investing heavily in the northeast Indiana community.”
Google’s Project Zodiac is just the most recent in a series of data investments in the Hoosier state. Amazon Web Services on Thursday announced an $11 billion investment to build data centers and add 1,000 jobs in St. Joseph County in northern Indiana.
Meta Inc., the parent company of Facebook, said in January it would spend $800 million on a data center campus in Jeffersonville, creating 100 jobs.