Iowa Neighborhood Upset About Planned Microsoft Data Center

An Iowa community is at odds over a major development coming to their city.

WHO reports that Microsoft has purchased 377 acres of land for $40 million just outside of Van Meter, Iowa. The farmland will be turned into the company's latest sight for a data center in the Hawkeye state. According to DataCenters.com, Iowa is home to 13 large data centers, with Microsoft operating one at 550 White Crane Rd. in West Des Moines. So what has residents upset about this new center proposed for Van Meter? Location, location, location.

As you can see in the map above, the land that Microsoft has purchased sits right between two neighborhoods in Van Meter, according to WHO. That has some concerned over the infrastructure it would take to keep the data center up and running. Some say the huge building will be an eye-sore.

One neighbor told WHO about more concerns that residents have about the new data center.

There’s just a lot of community concern about light pollution, and it is a little bit of an eye sore...And water pressure, the infrastructure it takes to support a building that size.

Other residents agreed that there are pros and cons, but are happy for the potential tax revenue that the center will bring to the city of Van Meter. WHO reports that some people pointed out that the land had been set aside for a proposed data center for nearly a decade, so Microsoft coming to town shouldn't be that big of a surprise.