DataOne seeks Frankfort approval for $7.5B, 115‑acre AI data center campus that would add ~200 on‑site jobs

DataOne, a developer with U.S. and French operations, asked Frankfort officials to approve a proposed 115‑acre AI data center campus valued at $7.5 billion on land zoned for light industrial use. The company describes the project as an 800,000‑square‑foot facility and says it would create substantial construction employment and roughly 200 permanent on‑site positions, with a stated goal of hiring locally in Frankfort.

DataOne scheduled two walk‑in open houses at 51 West Event Center for Sept. 21–22, 2026, with staffed booths covering campus design, jobs, water, energy, noise, lighting and local tax benefits; CEO Charles‑Antoine Beyney and engineering staff expected to attend. The company told the city it plans closed‑loop cooling using about 22,000 gallons per day, a full build‑out designed for 475 megawatts (about 150 MW of which the company says would come from paired solar and battery storage), fuel‑cell backup rather than diesel generators, and that it will fund two new substations (estimated $10–15 million) and related electrical upgrades. DataOne also indicated it will seek state and local tax abatements and a local rebate or possible PILOT; it said an environmental study will be filed at least one month before any building permit vote.

BusinessIndy examines this development and its implications for Indiana businesses and communities using the linked sources.