DevelopOhio

A new agreement between the Village of Hebron and Microsoft could bring billions of dollars in investments without a huge impact on local traffic. Microsoft’s planned development is for “six data center buildings on more than 200 acres,” investing $500 million per building and employing “at least 30 people per building,” The Newark Advocate reports. Hebron Mayor Valerie Mockus said, “I think they’re a great fit for Hebron. They are going to be low impact. We won’t have hundreds of employees. There won’t be heavy truck traffic the residents near the site were very worried about,” according to the article. The agreement “commits Microsoft to paying for road improvements on High Street, Enterprise Drive, and Canyon Road,” while the company and village “will negotiate and identify the funding the company will pay the village for water and wastewater services.” Brittany Misner, economic and community development director for the village, said the development “will have minimal noise and air quality impact, and won’t disrupt the landscape” as Microsoft will “invest in considerable screening of the development.” The agreement “does not include a tax abatement, but that will likely be negotiated in the future.” For more, read the full article (subscription may be required).