Michigan City leaders are welcoming Google as a community partner after its acquisition of the Project Maize data center site.

The $832 million project has transformed a long-vacant industrial building on Royal Road into a hub for digital infrastructure.

Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch says the redevelopment highlights the city’s commitment to innovation and sustainable growth.

Officials say the project will bring more than 30 high-skill jobs and boost economic development.

Work started last fall on the project, which is expected to bring in hundreds of jobs once it’s up and running. But it hasn’t been smooth.

People in the community have been raising concerns for months, things like how much water and power the site will use, how loud it’ll be, and whether local workers are actually getting hired.

A local union has been especially vocal. They’ve been picketing, saying too many out-of-state workers are on the job and not enough local labor is being used.