Hebron is about to get a lot noisier. Microsoft says it will begin construction this February on a six-building data center campus near the village, shifting the project from years of planning into active site and foundation work.
AMES Construction has been named the general contractor, and the company expects the heaviest construction activity between March and August, with overall construction targeted for completion in November 2026. Neighbors should expect more truck traffic on nearby roads and steady daytime work during permitted hours as the campus takes shape.
According to Microsoft, AMES Construction will handle site preparation and Microsoft will notify nearby residents before major work begins. The company lists permitted construction hours as Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and notes that finishing construction does not mean the campus will be switched on right away. Microsoft also provides community and construction contact points for residents with questions or concerns.
How Hebron Fits Into Microsoft’s Ohio Plans
The Hebron campus is one piece of a larger Central Ohio package Microsoft announced in October 2024, which industry outlets put at about $1 billion across sites in New Albany, Heath and Hebron. Reporting shows Microsoft paused parts of that plan in April 2025 during a strategic review, but the company’s later update and local coverage indicate work is resuming at least at the Hebron site.
Data Center Dynamics covered the initial investment and the subsequent pause, and outlined construction-related hiring tied to the planned campuses.
What Neighbors Will See First
Microsoft says initial site preparations around Hebron will stretch through spring 2026, including stabilization and staging work that typically means more visible earthmoving equipment and a steady flow of trucks. Ames Construction, which lists large data center site work among its specialties, will handle civil work, mass grading and utility installations, according to the contractor’s project materials.
Ames Construction highlights similar mass grading, access-road building and stormwater infrastructure on past data center projects, so residents can expect that kind of heavy-duty groundwork before any sleek buildings start rising.
What’s Next For Heath And New Albany
Local reporting notes that AMES is also moving ahead with site preparations in New Albany, while plans for the Heath site remain in flux. Regional outlets say Microsoft has been working through development agreements and permitting there as timelines shift and the broader Ohio strategy settles.
WBNS summarizes Microsoft’s current construction timetable and flags lingering questions about the status of the Heath location.
For residents near the Hebron footprint, the near-term outlook includes routine construction notices and occasional traffic changes as crews move equipment and materials in and out. Local officials say the project is intended to bring long-term tax revenue and some permanent jobs once the data center is operational, with most early hiring focused on construction trades during the build phase.
Officials and Microsoft say they will continue to share updates with neighbors through the company’s Ohio community page and local contact channels as work progresses and the massive complex slowly rises from what is, for now, just another quiet stretch of Central Ohio ground.
