Google’s $2 billion data center on Fort Wayne’s far southeast side has been hailed as one of Indiana’s largest economic development wins. The promise: up to nine massive buildings, more than 200 permanent jobs, and hundreds of construction workers on a nearly 900-acre site at Adams Center and Tillman roads.

But as the second phase of the project takes shape, a quieter story emerges featuring protected wetlands and the uneasy trade-off between safeguarding natural defenses and pursuing economic growth. The final word, however, does not rest with the city of Fort Wayne. It hinges on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which holds the authority to decide whether wetlands can be filled and under what conditions. The department is taking public comments through Thursday. Public

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