Officials have approved the annexation of county-owned land in Fort Wayne, Indiana for a data center development.

The annexation is of 728 acres of land in Allen County, and will be part of "Project Zodiac," currently associated with DMI FW, LLC, a front company handling the application on behalf of an anonymous US-based Fortune 100 company that operates data centers globally.

Plans for Project Zodiac were first announced in October 2023. The data center campus will span 892 acres in total and feature 12 buildings. The site will be bounded by East Tillman Road, Adams Center Road, and the railroad track.

The county has also approved the five parcels of land to be rezoned once the annexation is complete, from agricultural to business, technology, and industrial part use.

Project Zodiac has also asked for two waivers from the county - one to permit an eight-foot ornamental fence, and another to allow the buildings to be built up to 75 feet tall, which will be assessed by the planning commission on November 20.

The project will represent around $850 million in investment and should create around 30 jobs in the area. If the site is completely built out, that could extend to a $3-4bn investment.

While county officials voted unanimously in favor, the approved project has frustrated many residents.

One resident of the area, Amanda Dennie, left the meeting in tears and said: "Money's the root of all evil." Dennie's family has lived on Adams Center Road for the past few generations, and the development will prevent Dennie and her son from situating pop-up campers to watch meteor showers.

Other residents expressed concerns about the lack of details provided by the data center owners, as well as the potential noise pollution and environmental impact.