Construction Commences on $15 Billion Data Center Campus in Port Washington
December 17, 2025
A major groundbreaking ceremony has officially launched the construction of a massive, multi-phase data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin, marking a significant infrastructure investment for the region and underscoring the continued expansion of digital infrastructure into new markets. The project, with a total estimated investment of $15 billion, represents one of the largest private capital investments in Wisconsin's recent history and is poised to become a key node for data processing and cloud services in the Upper Midwest.
The development, led by an undisclosed consortium of technology and real estate investors, will transform a large parcel of land into a state-of-the-art data hub. The initial phase of construction is now underway, with the full campus build-out expected to span several years. Upon completion, the facility is designed to support a total IT load capacity of approximately 500 megawatts, a scale that places it among the largest data center campuses in the United States and capable of housing hundreds of thousands of servers to power everything from artificial intelligence to enterprise cloud computing.
Local officials and project leaders highlighted the transformative economic impact during the groundbreaking event. The development is projected to create over 1,000 long-term operations and technical jobs once fully operational, in addition to several thousand construction jobs over the build period. This influx of high-skilled employment and sustained capital investment is anticipated to provide a substantial boost to the local and state economy.
From an industry perspective, the Port Washington project signals a strategic move by hyperscale operators and their partners to secure scalable power and land in locations outside traditional, densely packed data center corridors. The Great Lakes region, with its access to reliable power grids and cooler climates beneficial for energy-efficient cooling, is increasingly attractive. This development will likely enhance network connectivity for the broader region, attract ancillary technology businesses, and set a precedent for future large-scale digital infrastructure projects in similar markets. Its scale and capital commitment underscore the relentless demand for data capacity driven by the growth of AI, streaming, and ubiquitous cloud services.
Source: biztimes
Construction Commences on $15 Billion Data Center Campus in Port Washington
