By Jade Cunningham | 12 News
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Drive by the corner of West Lower Buckeye and Avondale Boulevard and you’ll see dirt and farmland. However, growth is happening. A McDonald’s was recently built there, a stoplight was installed and a new development of homes is also nearby. City leaders are looking forward to the next step.
“A project like Prime is going to be something that’s extremely additive to our community and it’ll help us thoughtfully and sustainably grow,” Avondale’s Economic Development and Tourism Director Ken Chapa said.
About two years ago, the city was approached by Prime Data Centers, a company with more than a dozen data centers nationwide and overseas. It wanted Avondale to be home to its newest location.
“It’s a big deal for us, it’s a multi-billion-dollar investment in our community,” Chapa said. “It’s one of the largest investments that’s ever happened in Avondale.”
Other companies wanted to build their own data centers on that plot of land in the southern part of town, but city leaders said looking at the big picture, it was never really a good fit.
However, looking extensively at Prime Data Centers and what it was offering, Chapa said the city saw it as a win-win.
“I think there’ve been some products in the past, some older technology that was less than perfect,” Chapa said. “High water use, a little bit louder and frankly the design wasn’t their primary function, the way it looked. Dealing with groups like Prime, who understand if we’re going to be in the community we need to check all those boxes, that was very appealing to us. They understood they can’t just come in and be that old model, they have to bring something new.”
