Brownsburg is nearly done stitching together a massive industrial hub along Ronald Reagan Parkway, with the Town Council clearing the final lot tied to the Ronald Reagan Commerce Center and quietly stripping out one controversial use: data centers.
What the council approved
At its June 25 meeting, the Brownsburg Town Council unanimously signed off on a conditional I2 (heavy industrial) rezone for a 4.47-acre parcel at 8720 E. County Road 750 North and advanced an annexation tied to the project, according to the Town of Brownsburg. The ordinance received its first and second readings that night, with a third and final reading listed for July 9 in the council packet.
The staff report notes the lot is already wrapped on three sides by earlier phases of the development, and town staff recommended approval of the rezone with a fiscal plan and supporting exhibits attached to the ordinance.
Data centers pulled from commitments
The most pointed moment of the discussion came when Council President Ben Lacey zeroed in on one line in the list of permitted uses: data centers.
“I don’t believe our infrastructure here in town can support that,” Lacey said, as reported by Current Publishing.
The applicant’s attorney responded that data centers were included simply because the use appears in Brownsburg’s zoning code, and said there was no objection to cutting that option for this specific parcel. Planning Director Elizabeth Williams told the council that removing data centers would make the zoning more restrictive and would not trigger a return trip to the Advisory Plan Commission, according to the same reporting.
Background and next steps
This sliver of land is the final piece of a roughly 317.5-acre puzzle the town now calls the Ronald Reagan Commerce Center, formerly known as the Reagan I-74 Logistics Center. Earlier sections were annexed and conditionally rezoned in 2024, per the Advisory Plan Commission.
The APC recommended approval of the rezone earlier this year, and staff reports lay out the usual checklist still ahead before anything can go vertical. Final plats must be recorded, technical-review comments resolved, and the Hendricks County drainage board must sign off before building permits are issued.
Why it matters
The move comes as Brownsburg leans hard into industrial investment. In mid-June, the council approved a 10-year tax abatement for Prologis, part of a wider strategy town leaders say will strengthen the tax base, even as nearby residents regularly raise concerns about traffic, utilities, and environmental impacts, according to Current Publishing.
For residents keeping score at home, the July 9 final reading will be the last scheduled hurdle for this annexation. Those who want to follow that vote or track upcoming Plan Commission business can watch live and archived meetings on the town’s website, the Town of Brownsburg notes.
