What began as a $750 million investment has grown into a $10 billion commitment, making the QTS data center campus not only the largest economic development project in Cedar Rapids history, but in Iowa’s history as well.
QTS officially announced the expanded project in August, revealing plans for seven data center buildings on the 612-acre site at Big Cedar Industrial Center QTS Data Centers. The dramatic increase in investment underscores surging demand for data center infrastructure driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing expansion.
Construction has moved at a remarkable pace since the city council approved the development agreement in January. Ground was broken on the first building in August, and just two months later, the project reached a major milestone. On Oct. 21, QTS and construction partners Layton Construction and The Weitz Company celebrated the topping out of the first three buildings, signaling completion of each building’s structural framework. Construction workers signed a ceremonial beam during the event, though wind conditions prevented the traditional beam-raising that typically accompanies such ceremonies.
The ceremony drew strong state and local leadership, including Gov. Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer, Sen. Charlie McClintock, state Reps. Jeff Cooling and Elizabeth Wilson, and Mayor O’Donnell. Individual buildings range from 400,000 to 1.2 million square feet and will feature water-free cooling technology. Construction is planned in two phases, with the first phase expected in 2026 and the second in 2027.
In late October, the Linn County Board of Supervisors approved a road use agreement requiring QTS to provide over $117,000 in back payment for road damage and fund future improvements to rural roads impacted by construction traffic, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported.
The development is expected to support over 2,000 high-quality construction and permanent jobs. The project joins Google’s adjacent $576 million data center, positioning Big Cedar Industrial Center as a transformative technology hub for the region.
This update is a part of the CBJ’s Newsmakers edition. This year-end wrap-up from the staff of the Corridor Business Journal is a compilation of the year’s most noteworthy articles and projects, as told through stories that appeared in the bi-weekly issues of the CBJ.
Read the accompanying story, published in February of 2025:
