By BEX Staff for AZBEX
Active Infrastructure’s proposal for a 422KSF data center and five-building office development that would revitalize an unoccupied property in the South Price Road Corridor has met with resistance from City of Chandler planning staff, who say the proposal does not meet the City’s vision for the area.
In 2016, Chandler was among the first municipalities in the state to restrict data center development, and planners say they want to see more dense employment uses in the corridor area than a new data center would provide.
The City has worked to promote the South Price Road Corridor as a major employment hub, according to a local news report. Officials said the City’s vision focuses on “knowledge-based industries,” such as research & development, manufacturing, biosciences and similar uses. They say data centers do not generate significant employment numbers and liken the sector to storage facilities.
The proposed Price Road Innovation Campus at the SWC of Price and Dobson roads would develop a 422.9KSF data center and five flex buildings for R&D and office use, according to the proposal. The flex buildings would range in size from 42.7KSF to 71.4KSF, according to the submitted site plan.
The site currently houses an unoccupied 369KSF building that was vacated in 2019. The developer asserts no potential occupant for the building has been located in the intervening years, despite a national marketing campaign, and that the “antiquated campus” is deteriorating.
Active Infrastructure would lease data storage in the facilities to third parties. Officials said there are currently 10 data centers in the corridor area, and the 2016 General Plan changes were implemented to prevent new data center developments in the area.
The Planning and Zoning Commission was set to hear the necessary planned area development rezoning request for the plan this week. The City Council is expected to take up the matter Nov. 13.
Active Infrastructure is the project owner. The architect is Butler Design Group. The civil engineer is Hubbard Engineering, and Withey Morris Baugh PLC is the project representative.
