Community Commitments
Our Commitments to Lyon Township
On June 7, 2026, the Project Flex team submitted a voluntary Community Benefits Framework in writing to every member of the Lyon Township Board of Trustees and requested a working discussion.
We are now sharing that framework publicly so residents can see exactly what has been put on the table.
The framework was created in direct response to concerns we have heard from residents and the Board about noise, water use, battery safety, and the long-term relationship between this project and the community.
Consistent with Verrus’ commitment to be a new kind of community-friendly data center developer, our framework goes above and beyond the benefits packages that have been adopted in other projects throughout Michigan and the rest of the United States.
It is a starting point for discussion, not a final set of terms, and we welcome feedback from the Township on the community’s most important priorities.
The full letter as delivered to the Board is available for download at the bottom of this page.
Community Investment
The framework includes approximately $10 million in voluntary, Township-administered community investments, with priorities set by the Board and by residents:
- A $5 million Community Infrastructure & Resiliency Fund for parks, recreation, environmental improvements, and community projects chosen by the Township
- A $2 million Public Safety Fund for fire protection equipment, EMS support, training, and emergency preparedness
- A $3 million Education & Workforce Training Fund for local schools, skilled trades programs, and workforce development
Local Partnership
- Measurable local hiring commitments, including at least one community job fair
- A target for construction work awarded to local and regional contractors
- Priority recruitment of Lyon Township and Oakland County residents for permanent roles and supporting services like landscaping, food service, and building maintenance.
- A standing point of contact and regular coordination meetings with the Township throughout construction and operations
Neighbor Protections
- Enforceable limits on operational noise at residential property lines, verified by post-construction acoustic studies
- Downward-directed, shielded lighting to minimize glare and light spillover
- Enhanced berms, evergreen screening, setbacks, and landscaping around the campus perimeter
- Low-water-use closed-loop cooling with near-zero discharge into the municipal sewage system, avoiding high-water-use evaporative cooling towers
Infrastructure & Environment
- Completion of drain, stormwater, and roadway improvements associated with the development, including New Hudson Drain enhancements that advance the Township’s planned ring road
- Stormwater system monitoring in coordination with regulatory requirements and Township engineering review
Built-In by Design
These commitments come on top of what Project Flex already delivers as designed:
- Approximately 210 permanent jobs and up to 2,000 union construction jobs during development
- Roughly $300 million in projected tax revenue over 17 years for the Township, schools, Oakland County, and regional services — with no local tax abatement or incentive. Verrus has not asked for, and is not seeking, any local tax break.
- 99% less water for cooling than legacy data center designs
- Safe, clean battery energy storage in place of traditional diesel generators. Project Flex will have no backup diesel generators, other than life-safety generators required by fire code, and has not applied for a single backup generator permit.
Accountability
We are not asking residents to take our word for it. Verrus is prepared to implement permanent, publicly accessible monitoring of noise and water use, so the community can verify our performance on an ongoing basis.
Downloadable Resources
Read the full Community Benefits Framework letter as submitted to the Lyon Township Board of Trustees on June 7, 2026.
Read “Our Commitments to Lyon Township”, remarks delivered publicly at the Board of Trustees meeting on July 6, 2026.
