Microsoft buys 37 acres in Licking County for about $6.65 million

Marcus Bennett

Microsoft paid about $6.65 million for 37 acres in Pataskala, Ohio, lifting its Licking County land holdings to more than 700 acres.

The latest purchase covers parcels on Refugee Road, according to Columbus Business First. It follows a reported 289-acre purchase on the same road in November 2023. The reported sequence continued with another 40 acres in December 2024.

Together, the three Refugee Road purchases account for 366 acres, while Microsoft did not confirm whether the earlier acquisitions were intended for a data center.

What does the new land purchase establish?

It establishes a larger land bank in Pataskala. It does not establish a Pataskala data center campus. Pataskala lies between New Albany, Heath and Hebron. Those are the locations of Microsoft's three campuses. No Pataskala data center appears on the company's project website at present.

The reported $6.65 million applies only to the new parcel, and the report gives no stated use, construction timetable or capacity for those 37 acres. Nor does the report link the purchase to work under way at New Albany, Heath or Hebron. The transaction therefore expands Microsoft's local property position without adding Pataskala to its published project list.

Why did the Ohio data center program pause?

In April 2025, Microsoft paused plans to invest $1 billion in three campuses. The sites were New Albany, Heath and Hebron. Microsoft said it would “continue to evaluate these sites in line with our investment strategy” and revisit the project at an unspecified future time.

The review did not become a permanent stop. In March 2026, WCMH Columbus reported that Microsoft had broken ground on the Heath and Hebron sites.

Microsoft had previously bought 227 acres along Thornwood Drive in Heath. It had also purchased 223 acres on High Street in Hebron.

The April pause therefore preceded a March 2026 construction restart at Heath and Hebron, while work at New Albany continued under Ames Construction toward completion.

How far along are the three campuses?

Microsoft's project update pages showed the following position in July 2026:

• Heath: Construction focused on safety, water management and site preparation for future buildings. Work on the substation was also set to begin.
• Hebron: The campus was at a similar stage of development in July.
• New Albany: Construction activities being undertaken by Ames Construction were nearing completion.

For New Albany, Microsoft said: “Limited construction activities may continue through the summer as remaining work is completed, and future development phases are planned. Microsoft will continue serving as the primary point of contact for community questions and updates moving forward.”

The contrast is between enabling work at Heath and Hebron and near-completion construction at New Albany, while all three campuses aim to be online by 2029.

What does this change for Pataskala?

For local officials, contractors and landowners, the immediate change is an expanded Microsoft land position. It is not a confirmed Pataskala campus.

The $6.65 million deal adds 37 acres along Refugee Road. It pushes the county total above 700 acres. Microsoft's website lists no Pataskala data center project at present. The acquisition report did not attach a development schedule to the new parcels.

Microsoft now holds more land in a city between its three named campuses, but the acquisition adds no construction site or operating date to the published program. Until Microsoft publishes a Pataskala project, the additional acreage remains a land acquisition, not an announced operating facility.