New Details Surface About Springfield Township Data Center Proposal

A recent Clarkston News article about Independence Township’s new six-month data center moratorium included two striking details about Springfield Township that Oko Environmental had not previously encountered.

According to the Clarkston News, Independence Township Supervisor Chuck Phyle described the potential Springfield Township data center as a $6 billion development. This is a figure Oko Environmental has not previously seen disclosed in Springfield Township’s public information about the project.

He also described a residential subdivision next to approximately 60 acres being considered for data center development. When concerns were raised about the nearby homes, Phyle said the company’s response was essentially:

“We’ll pay triple what they paid for their homes and buy them all.”

Phyle added, “Money is not an object for these guys; it’s irrelevant.”

This is the first time Oko has seen either the $6 billion figure or the claim that neighboring homeowners could be offered three times their purchase price.

Springfield Township has already acknowledged multiple data center inquiries and has a temporary moratorium in place while it develops zoning standards.

Independence Township is using Springfield as an example of why communities should prepare before a data center proposal arrives. In an unusual twist, Independence Township’s public discussion is revealing more about Springfield’s potential data center project than Springfield Township has shared with its own residents and, in some cases, even with members of its own Planning Commission.

Source: Clarkston News, “Independence Twp. green lights moratorium on data centers,” August 5, 2026.

Source: Independence Township Board of Trustee Meeting (July 21, 2026)