AVAIO Digital has unveiled plans for one of the largest private infrastructure investments ever announced in Arkansas, outlining a multi-phase hyperscale data center campus near Little Rock that could ultimately reshape the state’s role in the fast-expanding digital economy.

The project, known as AVAIO Digital Leo, will rise on a 760-acre site in Pulaski County and is designed to support the computing, storage, networking and power systems that underpin cloud services and artificial intelligence workloads. Backed by an initial $6 billion investment from AVAIO and its customers, the campus is expected to grow into a major regional hub for digital infrastructure, with total investment projected to exceed $21 billion over full buildout.

Company executives said the first phase alone represents the largest single economic development investment in Arkansas history. Construction on that phase is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026, with the facility expected to be completed and energized by June 2027.

At launch, AVAIO has secured a contract with Entergy Arkansas for 150 megawatts of grid power, enough to support early operations. However, as additional buildings and tenants are added, the company anticipates total power demand at the site could eventually reach 1 gigawatt, placing the Little Rock campus among the largest data center developments in the country.

State and local leaders were quick to frame the announcement as a turning point for Arkansas’ economic trajectory. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the scale of the investment underscores the impact of recent legislative changes aimed at accelerating energy projects and attracting capital-intensive industries.

Jobs

The data center will generate thousands of construction jobs during buildout and more than 500 permanent, full-time operations roles over the next five years. These positions will span technical, engineering, operations, and management roles, drawing from the Greater Little Rock labor market.

Beyond employment, state officials highlighted the long-term fiscal impact of a project of this magnitude, including increased tax revenues and the potential to attract complementary technology and manufacturing investments to the region.

Why Little Rock

AVAIO selected the Little Rock area after evaluating power availability, land scale, connectivity and time-to-market considerations. The site sits near multiple long-haul and regional fiber routes, providing low-latency connections to established data center markets such as Dallas, Atlanta and Memphis, while also serving emerging “edge” markets across the Southeast and Midwest.

Power infrastructure was another decisive factor. In addition to Entergy’s ability to deliver grid power quickly, the site includes substantial onsite natural gas infrastructure. That allows for the potential deployment of energy-efficient, behind-the-meter generation to support reliability and rapid scaling as demand increases.

Company leaders emphasized that they are designing the campus as a “next-generation digital development,” balancing industrial scale with environmental and community considerations. They plan to buffer the data center buildings from neighboring properties with natural forested areas and landscaped terrain, limiting visual and noise impacts.

Sustainability

Sustainability features are also central to the design. AVAIO said the campus will incorporate water-efficient cooling systems, rainwater capture and reuse, rooftop solar installations and advanced cooling economization technologies aimed at reducing overall energy and water consumption. Together, these elements are intended to position the Leo campus among the more environmentally conscious hyperscale developments in the U.S.

Mark McComiskey, chief executive officer of AVAIO Digital, described the project as both a major data center node and a long-term economic engine for Arkansas. He credited coordination with state leaders, utility partners and local officials for enabling a project that requires massive upfront investment in power, land and infrastructure.

Economic development officials echoed that sentiment, noting that Arkansas has spent several years assembling large, development-ready sites capable of accommodating capital-intensive projects. The Pulaski County property was identified, marketed and prepared with the explicit goal of attracting large-scale investments like AVAIO’s campus.

Entergy Arkansas said the AVAIO Digital Leo project highlights the importance of utility investment in new generation and transmission resources. Company executives pointed to projects such as the Jefferson Power Station as examples of how expanding capacity can support both industrial growth and long-term rate stability for customers.

County leaders framed the development as a strategic investment in the digital backbone needed for future competitiveness. With artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data-driven industries continuing to expand, access to resilient, scalable power and connectivity is increasingly viewed as a prerequisite for economic growth.

AVAIO Digital’s growing portfolio

The Leo campus will join AVAIO Digital’s growing portfolio of hyperscale projects across the United States and Western Europe. The company has already secured more than 1.2 gigawatts of power capacity across sites in Northern California, Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi, with plans to energize more than 450 megawatts in 2027 alone.

Industry analysts note that the announcement places Arkansas firmly on the map for large-scale data center development in the country. A sector that has traditionally clustered in states such as Virginia, Texas and Ohio. With competitive land costs, improving regulatory timelines and expanding power infrastructure, the state is increasingly positioning itself as an alternative destination for digital infrastructure investment.

If AVAIO’s timeline holds, ground will break in early 2026, marking the start of what local leaders describe as a generational project—one that could redefine Pulaski County’s economic landscape and establish Arkansas as a serious contender in the race to host the next wave of cloud and AI infrastructure.

AVAIO Digital Leo Data Center: Project Factsheet

Project Overview

Project Name: AVAIO Digital Leo

Location: Pulaski County, near Little Rock, Arkansas

Site Size: 760 acres

Project Type: Hyperscale data center campus

Investment & Economic Impact

Initial Investment: $6 billion (Phase 1)

Full Development Investment: $21 billion+

Economic Significance: Largest economic investment in Arkansas history

Employment

Permanent Operations Jobs: 500+ full-time positions over five years

Construction Jobs: Thousands during construction phase

Target Labor Pool: Greater Little Rock professional workforce

Power Infrastructure

Initial Power Contract: 150 MW (Entergy Arkansas)

Anticipated Full Capacity: Up to 1 GW

First Phase Energization: June 2027

Additional Power Source: Substantial onsite natural gas infrastructure for on-site power generation

AVAIO Digital Leo: Project Timeline

Construction Start: Q1 2026

Phase 1 Completion: June 2027

Development Approach: Multi-phase buildout

Site Advantages

The Little Rock location was selected based on several strategic factors:

Connectivity: Robust, low-latency fiber routes connecting to Dallas, Atlanta, Memphis, and emerging Southeast/Midwest markets

Power Delivery: Rapid grid power deployment by Entergy Arkansas

Infrastructure: Onsite natural gas infrastructure for efficient power generation

Scale: 760-acre site supporting multi-building campus with on-site generation

Geography: Strategic position for regional data center services

Sustainability Features

AVAIO’s design incorporates next-generation sustainable elements:

Water-efficient cooling technologies

Rainwater recapture systems

Rooftop solar generation

Advanced cooling-system economization

Energy-efficient design to reduce overall power demand

Natural forest buffers and landscaped terrain for minimal community impact

Technology Applications

The campus will host infrastructure supporting:

Cloud computing applications

Artificial intelligence workloads

Compute and networking technologies

Data storage systems