The Clinton County Board of Commissioners is slated to take up a closely watched rezoning tied to a proposed large-scale data center west of Frankfort at its next regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners Hearing Room at the Courthouse. The county’s calendar lists the meeting; the county’s “Video Meeting” page explains how to watch live on YouTube.
How we got here:
On Sept. 2, the Clinton County Area Plan Commission (APC) voted 4-0 to send “no recommendation” to the commissioners on a petition from Logix Realty LLC to rezone about 153 acres from A-1 (agriculture) to I-1 (light industrial) to accommodate a data center campus. A developer request to continue the hearing 60 days was denied before the panel took public comment and deliberated. Planning staff cited concerns about drainage, road surface/approach (including gravel on County Road 100 N), readiness of supporting infrastructure, and the prospect of industrial expansion in that direction. With a “no rec,” the county’s legislative body now holds the deciding vote.
The project shifted to county jurisdiction after an earlier Frankfort City Plan Commission path was withdrawn in July; coverage at the time pegged the concept at up to ~300 MW of capacity and described the land blocks being evaluated west/northwest of the city.
What the commissioners are expected to consider:
Under Indiana’s planning statute, once the APC certifies a rezoning (with approval, denial, or no recommendation), commissioners may approve, deny, or amend the ordinance. Practically, Tuesday’s meeting is expected to focus on:
- Land use compatibility & site readiness. County planning staff flagged drainage and road conditions as issues; expect questions about who pays for improvements and on what timeline.
- Utilities & power. The developer has referenced grid capacity and evolving cooling tech that can limit water use. Commissioners will likely press for specifics on power delivery, redundancy, and how much (if any) water is needed for cooling.
- Tax base, incentives & SB 1. The developer has promoted potential benefits tied to Senate Bill 1 reforms and the use of TIF to offset infrastructure costs. Commissioners will weigh revenue projections against upfront public obligations.
- Community impacts. Traffic, noise during construction, emergency services readiness, and protection of agricultural drainage patterns are recurring themes at the microphone.
The proposal in context:
Business press coverage last week framed the project at roughly $1 billion in investment, moving ahead despite some hesitancy from local officials. Earlier reporting suggested that, if approvals line up, groundbreaking could slip into late spring or early summer 2026. Those timelines hinge on commissioners’ action, subsequent permitting, and any court or BZA appeals.
County leadership has said publicly they learned of the proposal this summer and are still gathering details and public input. Expect questions from the dais reflecting that posture.
What opponents and supporters are saying:
- Supporters argue the campus would diversify the tax base, leverage private dollars for infrastructure, and align with statewide efforts to land digital-economy projects if local controls and conditions are clear.
- Skeptics point to farmland conversion, road and drainage costs, and cautionary tales from other states’ data-center booms—concerns echoed in APC staff analysis and citizen comments.
What a vote could look like:
Because the APC forwarded no recommendation, commissioners are not bound by its advice. They could:
- Approve the rezoning as presented;
- Approve with amendments/conditions (e.g., road upgrades, drainage plans, buffers, phasing triggers);
- Deny the rezoning; or
- Send it back to the APC for further study (less common after certification but possible if a material change is contemplated).
Any approval would still require plats, drainage approvals, drives/approaches, utility sign-offs, and building permits—with multiple checkpoints for engineering detail.
When and how to participate:
- When: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025 — 9:00 a.m. (Commissioners meeting)
- Where: Commissioners Hearing Room, Courthouse, 125 Courthouse Square, Frankfort
- Watch: County YouTube channel via the Video Meeting page; public comments can be emailed to publiccomment@clintonco.com per the county instructions.
Quick reference:
- APC sent “no recommendation” on the ~153-acre A-1→I-1 rezoning for the data center (Sept. 2).
- Commissioners meet Sept. 16 at 9 a.m.; meeting stream available online.
- Project scale reported up to ~$1B; early timelines floated into mid-2026 for ground-breaking if approvals occur.