The faith-based community group We Make Indiana is publicly asking Microsoft to commit community benefits worth 1 percent of its Indiana data center project’s costs. Microsoft has not responded.

The group wants a formal community-benefits agreement covering roads, utilities, housing, public services and years of construction strain, not just small grants. The data center is set to begin construction this fall and could be operational by 2029. The group previously helped block a rumored Meta data center at a public meeting.

Critics contrast Microsoft’s vague good-neighbor promises with large tax breaks. Data center exemptions have been granted in 38 states and often last more than a decade. In Indiana, equipment can skip the 7 percent sales tax on up to $13.2 billion in projected purchases.

The group is exploring leverage through a proposed tax increment financing district around the site. Its message is simple: no tax increment financing without a Fair Share agreement. The fight is becoming a template for communities weighing the costs and promises of the AI data center boom.