Microsoft has broken ground on a data center campus in La Porte, Indiana.

In a LinkedIn post, vice chair and president at Microsoft Brad Smith announced that the groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 17.

Smith wrote: "Today we broke ground in La Porte, Indiana, alongside Mayor Tom Dermody, local leaders, and community members who made this possible. This marks more than the start of a new data center. It represents the future of this community and our commitment to being a good neighbor.

"Beyond the thousands of construction jobs, our first phase will create more than 600 permanent Microsoft jobs. It will grow local tax revenues to support schools and the broader community for generations. Our campus will be designed with the latest energy-efficient, closed-loop liquid-cooling technologies to conserve natural resources. And we will enhance the surrounding ecosystem to strengthen flood protection and natural habitat."

Official site preparation works began in March this year. Buildings 1-3 will be worked on through to the end of 2027, with the data centers expected to be completed in 2029.

Microsoft's plans for La Porte have been ongoing since at least 2024, when the company revealed it would build a 245,000 sq ft (22,800 sqm) data center on 489 acres at the Radius Industrial Park, as part of a $1bn investment in Northwest Indiana.

The first phase would comprise six data centers and a substation, on the initial plot of land.

In April 2026, Microsoft revealed it was now planning to establish 17 buildings on an expanded plot of land between East 250 South, East State Road 4, and Stevens Road in La Porte. How many of these will be data centers is unclear.

Microsoft also owns 939 acres in Mishawaka, Indiana, also thought to be set for a data center.

La Porte is located just south of Michigan City, where Google is currently developing the Project Maize data center campus.