Google wants to build one of the largest data centers in Michigan history next to a neighborhood in Van Buren Township. The facility, codenamed "Project Cannoli," would sprawl across 1.5 million square feet, use as much electricity as 750,000 homes, and draw up to 3.65 million gallons of water a day from the local utility. It's a billion-dollar project that will reshape this community for decades.

But residents didn't find out who was behind it — or that it would be a data center at all — until months after local officials had already been working with developers behind closed doors. The township signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Google's development firm in June 2025. Neighbors only found out much later.

"If you have to hide behind non-disclosure agreements, you have to consider why," said Courtenay Hall, a Van Buren Township resident, according to MLive.

Making things worse: Google representatives have not shown up to a single public meeting where residents can ask questions and get answers. For a company that says it aims for transparency, that's a hard thing to explain.

"People are frustrated that every time they think something's going to be good for our community, that we're sold out in various ways, that they're not listened to," resident Ashley Shukait told MLive.

When a corporation wants to build something of this scale next to people's homes, those people deserve a real seat at the table — not a seat after the deal is already done.

We're calling on the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees and the Michigan Public Service Commission to require two things before any further permits or approvals move forward: that Google send representatives to attend public meetings and answer residents' questions directly, and that no future NDAs with industrial developers be kept from the public — the existence of any such agreement must be disclosed immediately.

Corporations don't get to have it both ways — claiming to be good neighbors while hiding behind secrecy agreements and skipping the meetings where those neighbors actually show up.

Sign to demand that Google and Van Buren Township put transparency first.