HEBRON, Ohio — Microsoft is looking to purchase 300 acres of farmland in Hebron, Ohio for data warehouses.
Right now, the village of Hebron said Microsoft is in the acquisition phase of the project.
“Explore if it’s a good fit for the community, if it’s a good fit regionally, if it’s a good fit as far as infrastructure that our village can offer,” said Valerie Mockus, the incoming mayor and the president of council for the village of Hebron.
Mockus said to ensure it’s a good fit, the village is working with Microsoft to make sure the design fits in with the character of the community.
“They were talking about mounding to give cover on the ground. Using trees to mask the building so visually we wouldn’t see as far, but we would see trees and something green in nature,” said Mockus.
The economic impact of the data warehouses would be big on the village of Hebron.
“The full build-out of this could be six buildings. Each one having around 50 employees per building, so 300 employees not including construction workers,” said Brittany Misner, economic and community development director for the village of Hebron.
The village hopes the job opportunities will be taken advantage of locally.
“Ideally our residents in the village and neighboring township, if they work in these types of jobs or they are interested in these types of jobs, then this could be a great opportunity for them,” said Mockus.
Misner said it's an exciting time for the village as it grows and now they have the ability to control that growth and make sure it benefits the community.
“We have reliable utilities, we are close to major transportation routes and we have a great quality of life for our residents,” said Misner.
The village said they will know more about the project in the first quarter of next year.