Amazon Web Services (AWS) broke ground on a new data center in St. Joseph County on Monday, September 30. The data center is part of an $11 billion investment into the South Bend-Mishawaka metropolitan area, the largest in state history.
The groundbreaking for the data center was attended by leadership from both the South Bend-Mishawaka metropolitan area and AWS, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, and members of the South Bend Regional Chamber, all of whom have worked together for months to commence this project.
“There’s a lot of excitement in the community about this project advancing,” South Bend Regional Chamber President and CEO Jeff Rea said. “This puts the area on radars that we’re not on otherwise. We want to attract people, we want to attract businesses, and these announcements certainly help us.”
AWS is a global leader in cloud computing with clients ranging from private businesses to the U.S. government. The construction of a data center in New Carlisle helps ensure both the city and the state’s role at the forefront of economic development.
“Indiana’s long-term economic strategy is paying dividends for Hoosiers as we cultivate the growth of critical sectors like technology infrastructure,” said Holcomb in a press release in April. “Amazon has long been an important economic partner in Indiana, and we are excited to welcome AWS. This significant investment solidifies Indiana’s leadership position in the economy of the future, and will undoubtedly have a positive ripple effect on the town of New Carlisle, the north central region and the state of Indiana for years to come.”
Alongside the addition of the data center is the creation of at least 1,000 new jobs in the area to keep the center staffed and operational. Additionally, AWS plans to contribute several millions of dollars to the construction, improvement, and maintenance of road infrastructure surrounding the development.
“Those are jobs that are local to St. Joseph County,” AWS Vice President of Global Data Centers Kevin Miller said. “When we identify where we want a data center, we try to understand what the community is looking for, and we look for where there are partnerships surrounding workforce development. We want really good synergies with our local communities, and St. Joseph County was really positive in all of those dimensions.”
Indiana and the community surrounding the new data center were selected for construction thanks to favorable building conditions, including a performance-based 50-year term sales tax exemption on capital investments. The business-friendly approach similarly helped secure the $1 billion investment in La Porte for a data center.
“We’ve seen the impact AWS is having on the area already,” Mark McGill, South Bend Chamber of Commerce director of member relations, said. “This is a win for the entire area, the city, the county, and our partners.”
Ultimately, AWS’ data center will benefit all Hoosiers as it brings additional revenue and economic growth into Northern Indiana. It wouldn’t have been possible without support on all levels, from local communities to federal partners.
“All of this gets built by people coming together,” Holcomb said. “The momentum, powered by AWS’ decision and the local community leaning in, is going to literally define the future right here in New Carlisle.”
The data center will be developed over the next decade with as many as 50 buildings expected to be completed on the invested property.