Franklin Partners Pavilion Township

Permits

Permits checklist

1 withdrawn · 1 checked, nothing on file

Township actions on record. The amendment never reached a vote.

↩
Zoning text amendment: data centers as a special exception in the I-2 district Withdrawn
Pavilion Township Planning Commission · Oct. 16, 2025: hearing canceled when the owner stepped back; later reported withdrawn News report · Oct. 2025
–
Checked, nothing on file: State air permit or utility contract

Risks

Why it stopped, what could revive it

High
Withdrawn under opposition
Residents organized against the change over power bills and drinking water, and the request was pulled. News report · Oct. 2025
Watch
No tenant or demand data
The township has released no water or energy demand figures and no tenant is named. News report · Oct. 2026

Power

Power and the grid

Sources on record, size not disclosed

Consumers Energy grid Statement only
township supervisor says Consumers would supply and meter the plant at no cost to residents; no MW or filing News report · Oct. 2025

Getting on the grid

Consumers Energy said it has an agreement whose counterparty and site it cannot disclose, in the context of this proposal; no tenant has been named. News report · Oct. 2026
A data center here would use City of Kalamazoo water, per the township supervisor (press). News report · Oct. 2025

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming

Aug. 21, 2025
Permits Planning Commission discusses Franklin Partners' suggestion to allow data centers in the heavy-industrial district News report · Aug. 2025
Sept. 18, 2025
Permits More than 60 residents turn out, 20-plus speak against, and the vote is postponed News report · Sept. 2025
Oct. 16, 2025
Permits Second hearing canceled after the owner steps back to inform residents News report · Oct. 2025
Oct. 30, 2025
Power Supervisor says Consumers Energy would supply the plant without passing costs to residents (press) News report · Oct. 2025
Dec. 16, 2025
Site Statewide roundups report the request withdrawn after backlash, on hold for now News report · Dec. 2025

Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owners

Franklin Partners: landowner

Decision-makers

Pavilion Township Planning Commission
Township Supervisor John Speeter

Power partners

Consumers Energy: utility for the area

Opponents

Resident organizers, including Bill Farmer and Katelyn Clarey

Still unknown

Open questions

Whether Franklin Partners will refile.
Any tenant or MW.
Who Consumers Energy's undisclosed agreement is with.

Where this comes from

32 records from 5 documents

Drawn from news reports and public and commercial datasets, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 4Dataset 1

Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (3)

December 2025 statewide roundups report that after community backlash Franklin Partners withdrew the Pavilion Township request, putting the idea on hold; no development has begun and no tenant or MW has ever been named f
“The firm owns 265 acres in the township's industrial district near N Avenue and 26th Street. However, after community backlash, developers withdrew the request, putting the idea on hold, at least for now.”
News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
Utility: Consumers Energy
“Consumers Energy will be supplying the energy, it will be metered to that plant and the cost will not be passed on to residents”
News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C
Consumers Energy is the utility on this proposal: it issued a statement on the Pavilion development (declining to disclose the counterparty or site) and a township official reports Consumers' assurance on rates, stating
“Consumers Energy stands ready to provide reliable and affordable energy to all business and residential customers, including new economic development prospects”
News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C

Permits and government (14)

Project status: on hold - applicant stepped back from the zoning text amendment in Oct 2025; reported withdrawn after community backlash; no development proposal filed
“However, after community backlash, developers withdrew the request, putting the idea on hold, at least for now.”
News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
Project identity: Proposed data center on Franklin Partners land at East N Avenue and South 26th Street, Pavilion Township, Kalamazoo County, MI (no project name; enabled only by a proposed zoning text amendment)
“Pavilion Township officials have not released any data on the potential water or energy demand of a future facility”
News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C
Project status: on hold - zoning amendment stepped back by the landowner in Oct 2025 and reported withdrawn after backlash; no development begun
“the township canceled it because the data center amendment was the only agenda item and the property owner decided to step back and better inform residents before moving forward”
News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C
Residents organized against the zoning change (60+ at the September meeting, 20+ speaking against; organizers circulated an information list); concerns over electric and water bills and drinking-water protection; covered
“After last month's meeting, many of the more than 60 residents in attendance gathered outside township hall to talk strategy.”
News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C
The Oct 16, 2025 meeting was canceled because the amendment was the only agenda : hearing canceled - property owner stepped back
“the township canceled it because the data center amendment was the only agenda item and the property owner decided to “step back and better inform residents before moving forward,” Township Supervisor John Speeter told Watershed Voice.”
News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C
Oct 16, 2025: the Planning Commission's second hearing on the amendment was canceled because the amendment was the only agenda item and the property owner chose to step back and hold informational sessions first; the pro
“Pavilion Township's Planning Commission was scheduled to hold a second hearing Thursday, October 16, on a potential “data center” language addition as a special land use in its I-2 zoning district.”
News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C
Pavilion Township Planning Commission:
“Pavilion Township's Planning Commission was scheduled to hold a second hearing Thursday, October 16, on a potential “data center” language addition as a special land use in its I-2 zoning district.”
News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C
Sept 18, 2025: more than 60 residents attended the Planning Commission meeting, more than 20 spoke against the amendment, and residents began organizing (Bill Farmer and Katelyn Clarey collecting contacts outside townshi
“After last month's meeting, many of the more than 60 residents in attendance gathered outside township hall to talk strategy.”
News report · Sept. 2025 · grade C
Developer: Franklin Partners (landowner and applicant for the zoning text amendment; no tenant named)
“The addition was suggested by real estate firm Franklin Partners, which is the landowner.”
News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
Announced: Aug. 21, 2025
“Minutes from the August 21 meeting of the Pavilion Township Planning Commission show a discussion item concerning the addition of the term “data center” as a Special Exception use under the Zone I-2 designation”
News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
Aug 21, 2025 Planning Commission minutes show a discussion item on adding 'data : discussion item (amendment suggested by Franklin Partners)
“Minutes from the August 21 meeting of the Pavilion Township Planning Commission show a discussion item concerning the addition of the term “data center” as a Special Exception use under the Zone I-2 designation”
News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
Planning Commission minutes (Aug. 21, year as reported by DCD, 2025): discussion: Ordinance discussion item: add 'data center' as Special Exception use in I-2 (Aug. 21 meeting)
“Minutes from the August 21 meeting of the Pavilion Township Planning Commission show a discussion item concerning the addition of the term “data center””
News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
Aug 21, 2025: Pavilion Township Planning Commission took up Franklin Partners' suggestion to add 'data center' as a Special Exception use in the I-2 (heavy industrial) district - a text amendment, not a site application;
“Minutes from the August 21 meeting of the Pavilion Township Planning Commission show a discussion item concerning the addition of the term “data center” as a Special Exception use under the Zone I-2 designation”
News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
Pavilion Township Planning Commission:
“Minutes from the August 21 meeting of the Pavilion Township Planning Commission show a discussion item concerning the addition of the term “data center” as a Special Exception use under the Zone I-2 designation”
News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C

Site and other (3)

County code: 26077
“FCC Census Block API for site point 42.2160,-85.4650: Block FIPS 260770033024028; County FIPS 26077, Kalamazoo County, Michigan”
Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Site acres: 265 acres
“The firm owns 265 acres in the township's industrial district near N Avenue and 26th Street.”
News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
Water supply: City of Kalamazoo public water (private wells and septic prohibited under the proposed amendment)
“If a data center was built at East N Avenue, it would connect to city of Kalamazoo water, Speeter said.”
News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C