The Mount Pleasant Village board on Jan. 26 approved Microsoft's plan to build 15 additional data centers in a move that FOX6 News Milwaukee reports will significantly expand an artificial intelligence project already under way in Racine County. The new construction will join two data centers already being built on Microsoft-owned land zoned for industrial use, according to FOX6.
Village President David DeGroot told FOX6 the project positions the community at the forefront of a rapidly emerging technology sector.
"I think it is an emerging market and I think that there isn't a better spot for us to be in," he said.
FOX6 reports that nine of the new data centers will be constructed near Durand Avenue with work expected to begin by late summer or early fall 2026. Six more are planned off International Drive though that phase remains in preliminary planning. Village officials told FOX6 the multiyear effort will convert large areas of land into infrastructure supporting Microsoft's AI systems.
FOX6 reported that most speakers at the meeting supported the expansion and cited opportunities for economic development and job creation.
Labor leaders also voiced support. Michael Ervin, organizing director of Operating Engineers Local 139, told FOX6 that union workers are already active on existing Microsoft sites and ready for the additional workload.
"AI is here whether you like it or not — $13 billion is a lot of work and we're ready to do it," he said. "We do it skillfully, we do it safely."
DeGroot told FOX6 the scale of the project is unprecedented for the region.
"What's being built out there is the largest supercomputer in the world by a factor of ten," he said.
Village officials told FOX6 they expect long-term economic benefits, though they acknowledged that infrastructure demands and environmental considerations will need continued attention as the project advances.
