In yet one more battle over yet one more data center proposal, the Mayor of Aurora has announced his opposition to a planned two-building facility that would go up on the northeast side of the city.
What is being called the Trident Data Center would comprise around 860,000 square feet on some 110 acres at the intersection of toll road E-470 and East 48th Avenue.
The project belongs to the company Vantage Data Center Incorporated, which has offices in Denver, and if built would be the largest data center facility in the Centennial State.
Because the project would go up in what is classified as an industrial zone district, it can go forward without the normal process of neighborhood input. But that has not stopped detractors from voicing their opposition.
During an Aurora City Council meeting held on August 28, residents living in two nearby neighborhoods expressed concerns about the size and possible environmental impact of the project. The outcry has also made itself known in a petition on the site Change.org, which has thus far attracted more 2,500 names in opposition.
Now joining that opposition is Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, who last week declared that the project “must not go forward.” Noting that there are “multiple new home developments that are too close to the proposed data center,” Coffman said he wants the members of the city council to take a vote on the project, adding: “I would do this regardless of the litigation risk that the city may face by the data center developer.”
In a public statement, Vantage has said the project should be evaluated “based on verified facts.”
“We remain committed to working collaboratively with city leaders, residents, and other stakeholders to answer questions and address concerns,” Mark Freeman, global marketing vice president for Vantage, said.
In response to concerns about water usage, the company earlier said it would use a closed-loop cooling system in the data center that will initially require 800,000 gallons of water. From that point on, the facility will likely use around 2,200 gallons of water per day.
Vantage, which describes itself as a “leading global provider of digital infrastructure,” recently secured upwards of $2 billion in financing for its early-stage development projects in the U.S. and Canada.
October 5, 2026
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of City of Aurora
