By Roland Murphy for AZBEX –BEXclusive
Google is ready to move forward with Phase III of its Project Redhawk data center campus at the NEC of Elliot and Sossaman roads.
The Mesa Design Review Board will examine the building elevations and landscape design, in addition to considering alternative compliance requests, in its Oct. 14 meeting.
The submittal proposes a building of nearly 283.5KSF for a new data center and supporting equipment. The planned height is 35’10”.
The Phase III submission details plans for a single-story data center with two server halls, control and operations rooms, service staff support areas, and the infrastructure to support the data center operations, which includes mechanical and electrical yards and a medium substation.
The project team has requested an alternative compliance accommodation under the Mesa Zoning Ordinance for Phase III. Specifically, the submittal proposes changes to wall and roof articulations and to the materials board for more cohesive integration with the existing site. The request quotes the MZO list of alternative justifications, one of which says, “The proposed alternative is aesthetically more complementary to the site, better fits into the context of the area, improves the overall architectural appeal of the area and/or meets or exceeds the design objectives as described in the City’s General Plan.”
Recent Redhawk History
DATABEX cites Mesa permitting as showing construction on Phase II began as of early March.
An April 2024 article detailed Google’s plans for the development and Mesa’s requirements. “Google and the City of Mesa entered into a Government Property Lease Excise Tax incentive agreement for the site in 2019. Under the terms and conditions, Phase I of the data center development must be completed by July of (2025). The company also must spend $600M in capital expenditures within the same timeline under a development agreement with the City.”
It went on to say, “Google is also required to meet several performance metrics for the campus, including 500KSF of development with $800M in total expenditures and $240M in taxable construction by 2027 and completion of the entire project in 2030.” (AZBEX; April 12, 2024)
Data Center Process Evolution
Mesa is one of several jurisdictions around the state to have undertaken steps to restrict new data center developments in the last year. Local officials cited the sector’s intense demand for electricity and water, as well as impacts on commercial and residential developments, in justifying the changes. (AZBEX; June 18)
The city has been an unquestioned leader in data center development for several years, and Google’s Redhawk campus has been a flagship project.
Not including Phase III of Redhawk, DATABEX shows 19 data center projects in Mesa, all of which are located in the 85212 ZIP code, loosely bounded by Meridian/Ironwood roads in the east, Power/Recker roads in the west, Germann Road in the south and Guadalupe Road in the north.
Of those 19 projects, five have been completed and seven—including Redhawk Phase II—are under construction. The total 85212 data center project set has an estimated construction valuation of nearly $9.64B.
