Microsoft data center campus, Gaines Township
Microsoft has bought land for a large data center campus near Patterson Avenue and 76th Street. It asked the township to rezone the land to light industrial. Planners put the decision on hold to learn more about water, noise and taxes.
Where things stand: Rezoning request tabled 7-0 by the planning commission on April 15, 2026. No vote reported since.
🕒 Latest update (April 15, 2026): Planning commission voted 7-0 to table the rezoning after a 5.5-hour hearing with nearly 600 people.
What we know
- 📍 WherePatterson Avenue SE and 76th Street SE (7147 Patterson), Caledonia/Dutton area, Gaines Township, Kent County
- 🏢 CompanyMicrosoft
- 👤 Built forMicrosoft
- 🌳 Size439 acres
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromConsumers Energy
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How much power and water would the campus use? 🙋 I'll find out
- When will the planning commission vote again? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Oct 2024Microsoft bought 316 acres from Steelcase for $45.3 million.
- Dec 18, 2025Rezoning hearing postponed after too many people came.
- April 15, 2026Planning commission voted 7-0 to table the rezoning after a 5.5-hour hearing with nearly 600 people.
Local votes and rules
🗺️ Zoning change
Microsoft asked Gaines Township to rezone about 104 acres along Patterson Avenue SE and 76th Street SE to light industrial for a data center. After a packed hearing, the planning commission put off its decision with no new date. Microsoft offered a 65-decibel noise cap at homes and no use of local groundwater.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Microsoft data center public hearing set for Gaines Township · WGVU · Jan 22, 2026
- Gaines Planning Commission tables vote on Microsoft data center rezoning · WOOD Radio · April 16, 2026
See something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.