AVONDALE, Ariz. — Drive by the corner of West Lower Buckeye and Avondale Boulevard and you'll see dirt and farmland. However, growth is happening. A McDonald's was recently built there, a stoplight was installed and a new development of homes is also nearby. City leaders are looking forward to the next step.
"A project like Prime is going to be something that's extremely additive to our community and it'll help us thoughtfully and sustainably grow," Avondale's Economic Development and Tourism Director Ken Chapa said.
About two years ago, the city was approached by Prime Data Centers, a company with more than a dozen data centers nationwide and overseas. It wanted Avondale to be home to its newest location.
"It's a big deal for us, it's a multi-billion-dollar investment in our community," Chapa said. "It's one of the largest investments that's ever happened in Avondale."
Other companies wanted to build their own data centers on that plot of land in the southern part of town, but city leaders said looking at the big picture, it was never really a good fit.
However, looking extensively at Prime Data Centers and what it was offering, Chapa said the city saw it as a win-win.
"I think there've been some products in the past, some older technology that was less than perfect," Chapa said. "High water use, a little bit louder and frankly the design wasn't their primary function, the way it looked. Dealing with groups like Prime, who understand if we're going to be in the community we need to check all those boxes, that was very appealing to us. They understood they can't just come in and be that old model, they have to bring something new."
And apparently, they are bringing something new. One of the biggest concerns about data centers is the amount of water used by the facilities. The water is used for two main purposes, to help generate electricity to keep everything operational and to help cool down the servers and other equipment. Chapa said Prime uses a new technology that uses minimal water.
"It's a Closed Loop System," he said. "They will use less or equivalent to what ten residential, single-family homes use a year. Their commitment to design, their commitment to employment and to being responsible with resources, that's what's interesting to us and we welcome that."
There is some pushback with the project. People in the community want to see more local businesses, grocery stores, and restaurants. Chapa said he understands the concern but said the data center will help the area grow in the long run.
"Investments like Prime help elevate the daytime spending," he said. "The density of that market demand and help us attract those in the long term. You can have retail and grocers and a project like Prime is going to be something that's extremely additive to our community and it'll help us thoughtfully and sustainably grow."
The facility will be 66.5 acres, and utilize 1.3 million square feet of space. Chapa said the design is expected to be esthetically pleasing and will create about $5 million in tax revenue each year. Around 150 high-tech, well-paid jobs will also be created.
The company expects to break ground on the project within the next 12 months. The campus, with five facilities, will be built in phases. The first phase will hopefully be up and running 18-24 months after construction begins.
"We're excited, this is good," he said. "The value prop and commitment to make sure they put a product into our community that made sense, that would be additive to our community really went well with us, so we're excited, we're excited to get this thing going and we're looking forward to being with them for a long time."
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
12News on YouTube
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.