Representatives of Google and local government leaders will participate in a “special Google investment announcement” in Cedar Rapids next Friday, May 30.
The announcement comes after Google was identified in March 2024 as the company developing a monumental data center project in southwest Cedar Rapids – a project that, with a minimum investment of $576 million, was set to be the largest economic development project in the city’s history at that time.
Google revealed as company planning $576 million data center project in Cedar Rapids
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) approved the city of Cedar Rapids providing $56 million in local property tax exemptions for the project in March 2024. The incentives would comprise a 20-year, 70% tax exemption, subject to meeting employment thresholds and an approved high-quality jobs application.
The project is also planned to add at least 31 full-time employment positions, all at or above the high-quality wage rate.
Yet despite construction being under way at the site, just north of the intersection of Edgwood Road and 76th Avenue SW, Google itself has yet to officially confirm their involvement in the project.
“As demand for Google’s services increases, our capacity must grow to meet this demand,” a Google spokesperson said in November 2024. “We are always planning for future capacity needs and are currently evaluating the potential for a data center site in the Cedar Rapids area. These are complex projects and development of the site is subject to a variety of factors including but not limited to competitive energy rates along with a sustainable and sufficient energy supply.”
The announcement is set to begin at noon May 30 at 5800 Edgewood Road SW.
Participants in the announcement will include Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer for Alphabet and Google; Allie Hopkins, Iowa Server Operations Area Lead for Data Centers at Google; U.S. Senator Joni Ernst; and Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell.
Google has had operations in Iowa since breaking ground on its Council Bluffs data center in 2007. Since then, Google has invested more than $6.8 billion in Iowa and awarded more than $3 million to local schools and nonprofits, according to the company.
The Cedar Rapids City Council voted unanimously in February 2024 to authorize a development agreement for the data center project. The project is the first development in the Big Cedar Industrial Center, established by Alliant Energy in 2016 as Iowa’s largest industrial site, which includes an 890-acre parcel designated as the state’s only certified Mega-Site.
The site will also be the home of a data center campus for QTS (Quality Technology Services), surpassing the Google project as the largest economic development investment in the city’s history.
The QTS data center project, with a minimum investment of $750 million, was announced in February, and will be located on 612 acres of the Big Cedar Industrial Center.
