Pull to refresh
Logo
What Changed
Following Why Sign Up
West Michigan nonprofit brokered three data center deals under non-disclosure agreements

West Michigan nonprofit brokered three data center deals under non-disclosure agreements

Built World Grand Rapids, MI local

Taxpayer-funded The Right Place signed NDAs with two local officials while brokering projects for Microsoft and Meta

October 29th, 2026: Reddit investigation details NDA-backed brokering

Overview

Updated Nov 2

Solon Township residents learned in January 2026 about a data center planned for their rural community, according to a Reddit post. FOIA documents reported by MLive show the township had been communicating with The Right Place, the Kent County economic development nonprofit, since May 2025, and its supervisor signed an NDA in June 2025.

After public backlash, Microsoft ended its NDAs with Gaines and Lowell township officials in January 2026. Solon's board extended its moratorium on data centers to Feb. 10, 2027, and Lowell halted water and sewer talks with Microsoft in August 2026. A Reddit investigation, not yet checked against independent records, says The Right Place is leading all three projects.

Why it matters

If taxpayer-funded agencies can sign NDAs over major infrastructure, residents get no say in projects that will shape their communities for decades.

Last Monday's email for Grand Rapids, MI

Sent Nov 9. It carried:

Get next Monday's: one short email a week. Free. Unsubscribe in one click.

Questions about this story

Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.

No questions yet — be the first to ask.

Key Indicators

$537,018
Thelen's 2024 compensation
Randy Thelen's salary and bonuses as CEO of The Right Place, per a Reddit investigation.
3
Data center projects brokered
Microsoft-backed in Lowell and Gaines Townships; Meta-backed in Solon, per the Reddit post.
3
NDAs signed by local officials
Gaines and Lowell officials with Microsoft, and Solon's supervisor, per MLive's March 2026 reporting.
20+
Michigan hyperscale proposals since 2025
Hyperscale data center projects proposed statewide, including four in West Michigan, per Grand Rapids Chamber.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Sign up to generate historical perspectives on this story.

Log in Sign Up

People Involved

RT
Randy Thelen
Chief Executive Officer, The Right Place
Leads The Right Place, which a Reddit post says brokered three data center projects. In June 2026 he said the group does not respond to unsigned emails.

Organizations Involved

The Right Place, Inc.
The Right Place, Inc.
Nonprofit economic development organization
Facilitated township meetings with developers under NDAs, per MLive; a Reddit post says it brokered three data center projects

Public-private nonprofit promoting economic growth in the Grand Rapids region, distributing state grants and brokering development deals.
Microsoft
Microsoft
Technology company
Behind data center plans in Gaines and Lowell Townships. Ended its NDAs with township officials in January 2026; Lowell halted water and sewer work in August 2026.

Software and cloud giant developing data centers worldwide, including two in West Michigan per a Reddit investigation.
Meta
Meta
Technology company
Thought by a Reddit post to back the Solon project; MLive reports the Solon developer as unidentified

Parent of Facebook and Instagram, thought to back a West Michigan data center project per a Reddit investigation.
Grand Rapids Chamber
Grand Rapids Chamber
Business advocacy organization
Publicly supports responsible data center development

Business group representing Grand Rapids-area employers, publicly engaged in the data center development debate.

Timeline

October 2024 October 2026

13 events Latest: October 29th, 2026 · 1 week ago Showing 8 of 13
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Reddit investigation details NDA-backed brokering

    Latest Report

    Reddit investigation details The Right Place's three data center projects and NDAs.

  2. Planning commission recommends moratorium through Feb. 10, 2027

    Development

    The Solon planning commission unanimously recommended a zoning amendment extending the moratorium to Feb. 10, 2027. Its draft ordinance is in its fifth revision.

  3. Lowell halts Microsoft water and sewer work

    Development

    Lowell halted cooperative development agreements, suspending water and sewer work with Microsoft for its proposed Covenant Business Park data center.

  4. Solon board approves moratorium extension

    Development

    The township board approved a six-month extension of the data center moratorium.

  5. Residents protest at developer roundtable

    Protest

    Residents protested The Right Place's meetings with developers held under NDAs. CEO Randy Thelen did not answer an unsigned letter from Solon, Lowell and Gaines officials.

  6. Solon Township passes six-month data center moratorium

    Development

    The township board unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on data center proposals.

  7. Microsoft terminates NDAs after backlash

    Development

    Microsoft's letter to Hale, dated Jan. 10, ended the Lowell agreement. Both NDAs were terminated at the start of 2026.

  8. Cedar Springs Bugle reports Solon data center

    Disclosure

    Cedar Springs Bugle reports Solon data center, revealing project to the public.

  9. NDA signed with Solon Township supervisor

    Development

    NDA with Solon Township supervisor, covering the data center project.

  10. Lowell Township supervisor signs NDA with Microsoft

    Development

    Supervisor Jerry Hale signed a nondisclosure agreement with Microsoft about its proposed Lowell Township data center.

  11. Hyperscale projects proposed across Michigan

    Context

    Over 20 hyperscale data center projects proposed across Michigan, including four in West Michigan.

  12. Gaines Township officials sign NDA with Microsoft

    Development

    Supervisor Rod Weersing and Community Development Director Dan Wells signed a nondisclosure agreement with Microsoft over its planned Gaines Township data center.

  13. NDA signed with Cedar Springs city manager (per Reddit post)

    Development

    The Reddit post reports an NDA with a Cedar Springs city manager, facilitated by The Right Place. No news report reviewed confirms it.

Scenarios

1

West Michigan data centers break ground

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Grand Rapids Chamber and The Right Place, which tout jobs and tax revenue

Microsoft and Meta projects clear local zoning and tax approvals, and construction begins. The pushback seen elsewhere in Michigan does not materialize in these townships, and the region lands a major infrastructure boom. Residents who were left out of early discussions may still see the promised tax and job benefits arrive.

2

A township rejects or pauses a data center

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Community members and the Michigan for Responsible Data Center Coalition

Concerns over energy, water, noise, and process, amplified by the NDA revelations, lead a township board to vote down or indefinitely delay a project. This would mirror pushback already visible elsewhere in Michigan, where more than 20 hyperscale proposals have stirred opposition.

3

Michigan enacts data center disclosure rules

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: State legislators and transparency advocates responding to NDA controversies

The revelations prompt legislation requiring public notice before data center agreements or incentives are finalized, or restricting non-disclosure agreements in economic development. Unlikely but not impossible, given the scrutiny these projects draw and the established pushback across the state.

4

Solon adopts a data center zoning ordinance by February 2027

Possible Resolves by Feb 10, 2027

Discussed by: Solon Township planning commission and attorney Michael Homier

The sixth draft of the zoning amendment would set rules for small, medium and hyperscale data centers before the moratorium expires. Residents say the fifth draft is not strong enough.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2017-2021

Foxconn in Wisconsin (2017-2021)

Foxconn announced a $10 billion LCD factory in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, promising 13,000 jobs in exchange for billions in state and local incentives. The deal was announced with presidential fanfare and billed as transformative for the region.

Then

Construction began in 2018, but plans shrank repeatedly. By 2021, the campus was largely unbuilt and employment far below what was promised.

Now

The deal became a national cautionary tale about incentive-driven development and the gap between announcements and delivered results.

Why this matters now

Like the West Michigan data centers, it involves a big tech project in a smaller community, brokered with public incentives and local commitments, where promised benefits took years to materialize or fell short.

September 2017 - February 2019

Amazon HQ2 (2017-2019)

Amazon opened a public bid for a second headquarters in September 2017, drawing proposals from more than 200 cities. The process was confidential, with cities offering billions in incentives without public debate over the terms.

Then

Amazon chose New York and Arlington, Virginia, in November 2018. After opposition from local officials and activists over incentives and process, Amazon scrapped the New York campus in February 2019.

Now

The episode sharpened public skepticism about using tax breaks to lure large employers and about secrecy in site-selection negotiations.

Why this matters now

Directly parallels the NDAs in West Michigan: residents learned about major projects after commitments with public funds were made, and the backlash showed that secrecy can backfire.

Sources

(10)
+5
Reddit r/grandrapids The Right Place Grand Rapids Chamber Switch mlive.com The Right Place mlive.com mlive.com mlive.com mlive.com