A massive industrial data center is coming to Lowell, Michigan—and they don't want you to know about it.

Franklin Partners, the same developers who got run out of Southwest Michigan's Pavilion Township after community backlash, are now targeting US. They want to rezone 230+ acres off I-96 and Alden Nash from mixed-use development – inclusive of residential, commercial, and recreational use (PUD) – to light industrial with explicit language to build a data center that could gulp down millions of gallons of our water every single day and/or require excessive energy. There's no specifics, just sales pitches. 

Here's what they're NOT telling you:

They've 'bait and switched' the plan. Residents were originally told this land would become a hotel and retail shops. Our wetlands would remain there. Now? It's Big Tech's next server farm.

They wouldn't say who's behind it. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) hid the real buyer. All we knew until January 7, 2026 when it was announced to be Microsoft, was that it was some "national" company. In early December, project officials said it is a top 10-U.S. business. This could be Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Apple, Walmart or another Big Tech entity. We need the 5-year NDA signed in January 2025 to be rescinded.

They're rushing this through. Lowell Charter Township and the City of Lowell announced only two public open houses on December 2nd and 3rd, 2026, just DAYS before the Planning Commission was set to recommend approval on December 8th, with a final zoning decision originally slated for December 15th. That's until the pressure of people power caught up with them!

Residents and community stepped up and filled the Planning Commission’s December 8 meeting to capacity of 121 people, forcing officials to shut down the meeting. (An alternative date and larger site to hold 700+ people was announced for January 12th, with a Township Board meeting to follow soon after.)

That's until, the City of Lowell announced in a vague Facebook post on Dec. 12, that they suspended their negotiations on the deal, which we exposed, until the company is officially named.

Then? Batter up. (They're already working on water and sewer agreements!)

Similarly, on December 15, the Township announced they would be pausing rezoning, followed by a December 18 media release that the developer asked for "an indefinite suspension of the application and its approval process" until Franklin Partners is prepared to resume. 

They're trying to turn down the heat from us, but we're staying the course!

Data centers are water hogs. They drive up utility rates. They bring noise, light and air pollution, and industrial traffic, NOT numerous jobs for local families. And there are numerous public health and natural resource concerns associated with them. They're just plain bad for the health of our Great Lakes region. 

The Township's Planning Commission was slated to vote on a recommendation January 12, 2026, followed by a Township vote January 19, 2026. But now, they've canceled this notice. We've successfully stopped two planning commission meetings due to capacity, and the Township canceled its February 9th Planning Commission meeting due to an inability to meet ADA accommodations requested by a resident and member of our group, Residents United for a Healthy Lowell. 

We need to be ready, we can't be caught off guard. We need your signature NOW. They're only required to give the public at least 18 hours to reschedule a regular meeting or hold a special meeting. 

Unite with Residents United for a Healthy Lowell. Tell the Township: the health of our community is NOT for sale, we need a 12-month moratorium NOW, and this rezoning must be denied -- now and in the future. Microsoft, you have no home here. 

Sign the petition. Stop the data center. Protect Lowell. Say #NoLowellDataCenter!

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Petition to Lowell Charter Township Planning Commission and Township Board: Reject the Data Center Rezoning Request for Covenant Business Park

To: Lowell Charter Township Planning Commission, Township Board, and Township Supervisor Jerry Hale

From: Concerned Residents of Lowell and the Surrounding Region

We, the undersigned residents of Lowell Charter Township, the City of Lowell, Vergennes Township, and the greater West Michigan and Great Lakes region, along with allies, respectfully urge the Planning Commission to REJECT any Microsoft zoning requests to rezone approximately 230+ acres at the Covenant Business Park (located at I-96 and Alden Nash) from Planned Unit Development (PUD) to Light Industrial with specific language permitting data center construction.

Our Concerns:

1. Major Water Consumption

According to the Alliance for the Great Lakes' August 2025 report, hyperscale data centers can consume between 1 and 5 million gallons of water daily for cooling operations. The average data center uses 300,000 gallons per day, the equivalent of the daily water usage of 100,000 homes. This level of water extraction poses an unacceptable risk to our local aquifers, wells, and the long-term water security of our community. To date, there have been no concrete specifics around water use, only estimates even the project's developers can't say won't change, and that ambiguity isn't welcome. Not to mention, even data centers using systems needing less water require more energy, electric rates are already too high!

2. Lack of Transparency and Public Engagement

Residents were initially informed that this parcel would be developed as mixed-use space including retail and hospitality. The sudden pivot to industrial data center use, combined with the use of non-disclosure agreements concealing the end buyer's identity, represents a fundamental breach of public trust. The community deserves full transparency and specifics on this project before any zoning decisions are made.

3. Inadequate Public Notice

The announcement of public open houses on December 2nd and 3rd, mere days before a potential Planning Commission recommendation on December 8th, does not constitute meaningful community engagement. Residents deserve adequate time to review project details, ask questions, and provide informed input.

4. Developer Track Record

Franklin Partners recently withdrew a similar data center proposal in Pavilion Township, Michigan, following significant community opposition over concerns about water demand, electricity rates, and generator emissions. These same concerns apply to our community.

5. Unknown Environmental and Infrastructure Impacts

No independent environmental or health impacts have been conducted. No information has been provided on the project's water-use projections, cooling systems, noise levels, or effects on local utility rates. Nor information on the detrimental effects to our wetlands. 

Our Requests:

We call upon the Lowell Charter Township Planning Commission and Board to:

DENY the current rezoning request until meaningful public engagement has occurred.

IMPOSE a moratorium on data center-specific zoning changes to allow proper community input and review.

REQUIRE independent environmental and health impact studies, including analysis of water usage, air quality, noise pollution, and light pollution.

DEMAND full public disclosure of the project's end user and their interests, projected water consumption, and infrastructure requirements. Call for a moratorium on future NDAs in the Township. (Microsoft rescinded these in February 2026 with the Township and City, though concerns remain and previous information is withheld.)

EXPLORE sustainable, climate-friendly economic development alternatives that genuinely benefit our community.

Lowell's water, environment, and quality of life are not commodities to be sold to undisclosed corporate interests. We urge you to stand with the residents who elected you and reject this rushed, secretive rezoning proposal.

Respectfully submitted,

[Signature lines]

Contact: ResidentsUnitedLowell@gmail.com | #NoLowellDataCenter