Tract has received the greenlight for its $20 billion data center park in Buckeye. The initiative is anticipated to bring 2,000 construction jobs during its construction phase and 500 permanent positions once its finished.
The park could eventually host up to 20 million square feet of data center space, spread across as many as 40 individual data centers once fully developed.
Overview of Project Approval
On August 6th, the Buckeye City Council unanimously agreed on a development deal with Tract. This deal includes a reimbursement strategy where the developer could receive up to $50 million for public infrastructure costs after generating $60 million in revenue for the city. Moreover, council approval was granted for a plan amendment that sets the stage for establishing the “Buckeye Tech Corridor ” setting the groundwork for this project.
Read also:Â Microsoft to invest $3.3B in AI data center campus in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
Economic Impacts
The data center park is expected to have an impact on Buckeye’s economy and its surrounding areas. Tract is planning to invest, over $100 million to improve infrastructure, including water, electricity and transportation in order to attract data center operators. This initiative is anticipated to generate about 2,000 jobs during the construction phase and 500 positions once completed.
Mayor Eric Orsborn of Buckeye has expressed optimism about the project stating, “I see potential in this endeavor. If all goes well this data center complex it could potentially become one of the largest in the Western United States and can compete with Virginia’s complexes.”
Tract stated that it is currently collaborating with the local utility to plan for supporting up to 1.8GW of capacity.
Read also:Â Amazon Plans $11B Investment for New Data Center in Indiana
Environmental and Technological Considerations
Tracts plan emphasizes sustainability and technological advancement. The company aims to develop a campus with reduced water consumption compared to a residential area. Ongoing discussions with Arizona Public Service and city officials from Buckeye are focused on securing power and water resources. Furthermore, Tract plans to establish a water campus to support its data center operations.
Read also:Â Meta to construct a new data center campus in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
Read also:Â DC BLOX Set to Build hyperscale data center campus in Conyers, GA
Comparative Assessment of Tract’s $20 Billion Data Center park in Buckeye
The upcoming Buckeye data center park is set to be among the largest in the country standing alongside known data center hubs like those in Virginia. Tracts approach of creating master planned campuses demonstrates an strategic response to demand.
Graham Williams, the investment officer, at Tract highlighted the benefits of this strategy by explaining how locating demand within master planned campuses helps communities and utilities prepare effectively. This results in a secure power supply for data center operators with fewer transmission lines needed.
Despite facing challenges and future opportunities the recent approval of the project signifies progress although obstacles remain. Initially intended for 10,000 units and some commercial spaces under the Cipriani master plan the project encountered delays due to water and infrastructure requirements. Anita Verma Lallian, CEO of Arizona Land Consulting played a role in rezoning the property for use by working closely with the city to adjust the development agreement to suit a data center complex instead of a residential community.
While exploring locations in the Buckeye area such as a 1,000 acre county island near Goodyear Tract met resistance from local authorities concerned about compatibility with residential growth. This led Tract to focus on developing at the Cipriani property. Williams noted that after discussions with city officials and gaining an understanding of their concerns they identified Cipriani as the site for their project due to its scale. Consequently they diverted all efforts, towards this location based on feedback received.
Read also:Â DC BLOX begins construction on $1.2B data center campus in Douglasville, Georgia
Tract’s Data Center Park in Buckeye: Community Responses
The reactions from the community have been quite diverse with leaders and residents holding varying views on the project. Some individuals are excited about the benefits and job opportunities it could bring while others are concerned about the environmental impact and potential strain on local infrastructure. Buckeyes approach of involving the community in planning and development is aimed at addressing these concerns and ensuring the success of the project.
The establishment of a $20 billion data center park in Buckeye marks a milestone for both the city and the wider region. By employing planning, innovative technology and a strong focus on sustainability Tract is setting a standard for data center projects. With the growing demand for cloud services and artificial intelligence technologies this initiative positions Buckeye as a player, in the data center industry offering economic and technological benefits in the years to come.
Read also:Â Microsoft to invest $3.3B in AI data center campus in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
