A massive project that would have seen the building of a data center campus encompassing around 290 acres in Tucson appears to be off the table.
Earlier this spring plans were announced for the building of what was being referred to as Project Blue, a facility to be built just to the north of the Pima County Fairgrounds that would cost around $3.6 billion to complete.
At the time of the announcement, Pima County said Project Blue would ultimately include four separate data centers, with the first becoming operable sometime in 2027.
Everything about the project was big, including the 18-mile pipeline moving the reclaimed water that would be needed for the data center operations.
But it was the size of the project and projected water use that brought several hundred area residents into a meeting of the Tucson City Council to voice their opposition.
The city council meeting came after a series of public input gatherings between the Dallas company Beale Infrastructure, residents, and city officials.
In response, the council in a study session decided to vacate a scheduled upcoming vote on a development agreement for the project.
In a statement issued in the wake of the council decision, Beale Infrastructure said the decision represents a “missed opportunity for the City.” The statement added: “We look forward to sharing our future plans.”
Those future plans could see the company building in another part of Pima County. Members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors earlier this summer had approved the project.
August 7, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
