KOKOMO — The opposition against a potential data center in Howard County is getting louder.
“It’s not good for Kokomo," Garry McNew, who lives near the proposed site, exclaimed.
“It’s going to be a literal drain sitting on the edge of town while the rest of us suffer," Arden Mlynarczyk, a four-year Kokomo resident, stated.
“The people here do not want it," Jack Chance, who has lived in Kokomo since 2020 and is now running for the Indiana House District 30 seat, said.
That sentiment was clear on Sunday as a number of residents gathered at the Howard County Courthouse with one message in mind:
"You had better hear us now," Chance exclaimed.
Residents were urging local lawmakers to go against a proposed plan that would bring an AI data center to Kokomo.
"The thing that they’re gonna tell you is jobs, resources coming in and really banking on the projections of what is to come," Mlynarcyzk explained. "But all of that is a giant lie.”
“They’re looking to take hundreds of acres that is currently farmable, land that could be used to feed Hoosier families," Chance said.
“People who have bought property and started building homes, or have built homes, and now they’re being disrupted because we want an 'industrial park' in Kokomo," McNew stated.
“Your taxes are going to go up, water bills going to go up. We ain’t going to have no water left in reservoirs," Carl, a long-time Kokomo resident, exclaimed.
The concerns come as Governor Mike Braun stated his support for AI data centers in Indiana at his State of the State address back in January. However, he said those centers must cover their own power costs.
“AI is going to be the key to jobs in the future, but data centers can’t stick Hoosiers with the power bill," Braun stated. "Companies that want big power in Indiana should pay their own way.”
But residents WRTV spoke with still said they want nothing to do with it.
“We are not for sale. We are not a colony for a billionaire pet project," Chance said. "And we will have our voice heard.”
“If you want to come over here and just siphon our resources and then dip, the answer is no," Mlynarczyk stated.
The first hearing for the proposed data center with City Commissioners will be held in downtown Kokomo on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
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Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.
