Mayor Dowagiac demands details from AI companies after expansion announcement

DOWASIAC, Mich. (WNDU) – Dowagiac’s mayor is demanding answers from an AI technology company that announced plans to expand in southwest Michigan.

Mayor Patrick Bakeman issued an open letter calling on Hyperscale Data to “immediately announce which properties it claims to purchase.” He also asked the company to “submit a plan within 45 days to address the concerns that continue to be raised by your multiple press releases.”

Hyperscale Data announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase approximately 48 and a half acres of land in southwest Michigan. The Las Vegas-based company already owns about 35 acres of land and has a data center already up and running.

If the acquisition goes through, the company will own approximately 83 acres in total, more than doubling its footprint in southwest Michigan.

CEO Will Horn called this an important step and said it shows the company’s long-term commitment to this area. The company expects to complete the acquisition within 60 days.

Dowagiac officials said they had not seen floor plans or operational details. Some people are already pushing back online.

You can read Bakeman’s full open letter to Hyperscale Data below.

Open letter to Will Horn, CEO of Hyperscale Data, Inc.

At Dowagiac, we pride ourselves on our ability to create an environment where both our businesses and our neighbors can thrive. I can give many examples of this happening throughout Dowagiac. Our expectation is always that, as with many traditional industrial uses of your property, your business can coexist safely and peacefully with the people living in the homes near you.

Last year, you announced your intention to significantly expand your data center operations in Dowagiac. Earlier this week, you announced again that you were planning to purchase an unnamed property believed to be in Dowagiac, southwest Michigan.

Both announcements are vague and have not received the necessary applications or approvals to facilitate expansion plans. By doing this, you created uncertainty and undermined our confidence that you would do the right thing in our community.

Here’s what’s expected of you:

we are ready to listen. However, no proposal has been submitted and no decision has been made. It is your responsibility to submit a clear and transparent plan.

At Dowagiac!

Mayor Patrick M. Bakeman

Dowagiac, Michigan

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