Gary, IN Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)

Sec. 123-217(b)(3) lists electronic data storage facilities as a permitted wholesale and warehousing use in the M1 Limited Manufacturing District, alongside local and regional distribution and logistics facilities. No use listed elsewhere in the Gary Municipal Code, including the B4 General Service and B5 Wholesale and Motor Vehicle Districts reviewed, authorizes this use, so a data center's zoning options in the city start and end with M1-zoned land. Once on M1 land, the facility must meet the district's general conditions in Sec. 123-217(a): all servicing, processing, and storage must occur within completely enclosed buildings, and within 150 feet of a residence district, storage must be fully enclosed rather than merely screened.

Dimensionally, Sec. 123-217(i) caps the floor area ratio at 1.0 in the M1-1 subdistrict and 1.5 in M1-2; Sec. 123-217(j) requires a front yard of not less than 25 feet in depth; and Sec. 123-217(k) requires a side yard not less in width than ten percent of the lot width but need not exceed 20 feet. The facility must also comply with the octave-band noise limits and the odor, vibration, toxic-matter, and fire/explosive-hazard performance standards set out later in the same section. A zoning certificate under Sec. 123-34, certified by the director of the department of development and planning, is required before the use commences.