Benton Charter Township AI Data Center

In 2024, Benton Harbor city administrators pitched state regulators on a plan to cover a roughly $2.5 million annual operating deficit by selling water wholesale to a large data center which developers are trying to lure to the community.

At the time, the project failed to launch due to community pushback–and because state tax breaks weren’t in place to subsidize development.

Since the passage of Michigan’s data center tax breaks in December of 2024, however, the situation has changed.

Residents remain watchful for city administrators and developers to restart the project.