Microsoft completes $50M land purchase deal with Mount Pleasant

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Mount Pleasant officials on Thursday announced that Microsoft Corp. has completed a $50 million, 315-acre land purchase near the Foxconn Technology Group Campus in Racine County.

Microsoft wants to develop a $1 billion data center and agreed to buy land on the eastern section of a 3,921-acre tax increment district (TID) for around $50 million, village officials said. The new data center will be built in Area III of Tax Increment District 5 (TID 5). TID 5 was first planned in 2017 for tech manufacturing tenants such as Foxconn.

Mount Pleasant officials, Racine County, the Racine County Economic Development Corp. (RCEDC), the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) and Milwaukee 7 announced Microsoft’s closing on the deal.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center, data centers typically employee nearly 1,700 workers during construction.

Closing the deal was the next step to introducing Microsoft’s data center in the county, Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave said.

“This is an exciting next step in the process of welcoming Microsoft’s new data center development in Racine County. This project offers an incredible growth opportunity for our community,” he added.

Site readiness work could start later in 2023 depending on the approval process, village officials said.

“We are proud to move forward with this highly anticipated development. The purchase of this land, which has been transformed in recent years, is a win for taxpayers and residents alike,” Mount Pleasant President Dave DeGroot said in a statement.

As previously reported by The Daily Reporter, Mount Pleasant in March announced it approved several agreements with Microsoft Corporation to purchase land. The Racine County Board considered the proposal twice in April.

Foxconn, which purchased land in Mount Pleasant in 2017, will be reimbursed with proceeds from the Microsoft land sale, village officials said.