The footprint of a massive data center complex on the southeast side of Tucson is growing with reports that the construction of several more facilities are being considered.
What is known as Project Blue is big in every way: a campus stretching across 290 acres just to the north of the Pima County Fairgrounds that will represent upwards of $3.6 billion in economic development.
That site is in unincorporated Pima County, an area that will eventually be annexed into the City of Tucson. Initial plans call for the construction of up to four data centers, with the first structure becoming operational sometime in 2027.
A public notice issued by Pima County contends that the site in question is “highly suitable for a data center campus.”
“It is near high voltage electrical infrastructure in an area planned for employment and industrial uses,” the notice announces. “This area is not directly adjacent to any residential neighborhoods or other sensitive receptors.”
A memorandum issued last month by Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher additionally notes that the campus would “ultimately rely solely on reclaimed water via a phased approach.”
Continues the memorandum: “Project Blue would propose to fund significant reclaimed water infrastructure expansion to deliver new non-potable resources to the region, including over-sizing to accommodate future customers and projects.”
It is thought that the company will build an 18-mile reclaimed water pipeline to help facilitate its water needs.
According to county records, the project belongs to Beale Infrastructure, a company with offices in Dallas and San Francisco that specializes in the development and building of data center projects.
The international investment firm Blue Owl is the parent company to Beale Infrastructure. Blue Owl currently has some $273 billion in assets under management.
Project Blue, which may eventually see the construction of up to ten data centers representing 2.5 million square feet, has now won the approval of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
July 8, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
