Microsoft has acquired more land outside Columbus, Ohio.
The Newark Advocate this week reported Heath Mayor Mark Johns confirmed that the company acquired had land in the Licking County city.
The acquired land is located west of Thornwood Drive and south of Hallie Lane and previously owned by Ramp Creek Estate LLC, which owned 219 acres on three parcels. The two westernmost parcels are bordered on the north by the railroad tracks.
Precise details on the company’s plans weren’t shared.
"I can't confirm exactly what parcels were purchased, I just know that's the area," Johns told the publication. "Based on what we know at this time, the project is like the project Microsoft is considering in Hebron."
As previously reported, Microsoft is in the process of acquiring around 100 acres in Hebron, some five miles south of Heath. The company is also looking to acquire another 100+ acres in nearby Union Township. Hebron Mayor Valerie Mockus told the Advocate the sale is still ongoing.
Microsoft said: "Microsoft is planning to build data center campuses in Licking County, Ohio. We look forward to actively participating in the community and investing in social programs that support our goals of promoting environmental sustainability and skill development and training for meaningful employment in the technology sector."
Columbus, Ohio, is becoming a major data center market, with the likes of Amazon, CyrusOne, Edged, Google, Meta, QTS, Aligned, and others building or operating data centers in the area. A DC Byte report recently identified New Albany - a suburb of Columbus - as the "data center capital of the midwest."
Microsoft is building out large landbanks in the area, acquiring 580 acres in Licking County’s Pataskala and around 200 acres in Licking County’s New Albany.
