The 315-acre Fairwater campus now houses what Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith called "the world's most powerful supercomputer," according to Smith's announcement. The facility came online in April and currently employs nearly 550 full-time workers. The land was originally slated for a massive Foxconn facility that never materialized.
Microsoft announced its plans in May 2024 and finished ahead of schedule. A second data center is already under construction next door, with completion expected in 2028. Microsoft says full-time employment in Mount Pleasant should reach around 800 once that second facility opens.
The company estimates it will have spent roughly $4.7 billion across all Wisconsin construction between 2024 and 2028, including purchases from electrical equipment manufacturers in Rock and Columbia Counties. The buildout is far from over. In January, the Mount Pleasant village board approved site plans for up to 15 additional Microsoft data centers on the same campus, which could be developed over the next decade.
Mount Pleasant Village President David DeGroot called the milestone "historic" for the village of roughly 28,000 residents. "Microsoft's decision to invest here elevates our community into a destination for innovation and advancement," DeGroot said.
The data center boom is fueling tension in other parts of the country. In Catawba County, North Carolina, residents near a separate $1 billion Microsoft data center project report constant noise and dust from construction.
One neighbor told Channel 9's Dave Faherty she has to wash her car every other day. County leaders defended the project, calling it a 10-year effort that supports well-paying jobs and will use only 1% of Hickory's daily water capacity.
Microsoft said during construction that the Mount Pleasant project provided work for 10,000 construction workers and is expected to bring 2,000 permanent jobs to the area. The company said it remains committed to being a "good neighbor in Southeast Wisconsin."
