Data Center Census

Cedar Rapids, Linn County, IA

QTS Cedar Rapids Data Center Campus

Also known as QTS Big Cedar

Under constructionFirst three buildings topped out Oct 2025; Phase 1 expected complete 2026, Phase 2 2027
  1. Rumored
  2. Proposed
  3. Approved
  4. Under construction
  5. Operating

QTS is building a campus of up to seven data center buildings on 612 acres in the Big Cedar Industrial Center at 6200 76th Ave SW in southwest Cedar Rapids. QTS describes a $10 billion investment, and The Gazette reports about 1,050 MW of power from Alliant Energy. The city approved a development agreement with property tax and franchise fee rebates in January 2025 and amended it in December 2025; the first three buildings topped out in October 2025.

Key facts

Size & schedule

Planned capacity1.05 GW [3]
approximate power from Alliant Energy, per The Gazette
Site size612 acres [1]
Buildings7 [1]
up to seven
Stated investment$10 billion [1]
company-stated campus investment; city agreement minimum $750M, anticipated $1.75B
Permanent jobs (promised)30 [5]
minimum 15 per phase for first two phases under city agreement; The Gazette reports 100+ full-time positions
Construction jobs1,200 [4]
minimum under amended agreement (previously 500)
Target completionPhase 1 late 2026; Phase 2 late 2027 [4]

Power

UtilityAlliant Energy [5]
On-site generation typeTemporary modular, self-contained generator units for construction and commissioning, expected to operate less than six months [9]
Source excerpt
“The plant, consisting of 'modular, self-contained generator units,' will be placed on QTS-owned property near the Eastern Iowa Airport.”

Water

Coolingclosed-loop, water-free cooling [1]

Money & incentives

Tax incentives20-year, 70% property tax rebate per phase (up to ~$1B rebated per amended agreement) plus 20-year, 75% electric franchise fee rebate; QTS pays up to $300,000/yr per phase to community betterment fund [4]
Tax abatement value$529 million [8]
Source excerpt
“According to the proposed agreement, the city 'conservatively estimates that $1 billion in total property taxes could be generated,' and an estimated $529 million would be rebated back to the company.”
Abatement term20 years [8]
Source excerpt
“That money would be rebated to the company by the city over 20 annual payments.”
Payments / community benefitsCommunity betterment payments of $300,000 annually for the initial phase and each additional phase, not to exceed $18 million (original proposed agreement) [8]
Source excerpt
“Those payments would be $300,000 annually for the initial phase and $300,000 annually for each additional phase, not to exceed $18 million.”

Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.

Timeline

  1. Cedar Rapids City Council approves development agreement with QTS [5]

  2. City, Alliant Energy and QTS announce campus [5]

  3. Ground broken (The Gazette; CBJ reports first building groundbreaking in August 2025) [3]

  4. First three buildings topped out [6]

  5. City Council unanimously approves amended agreement raising anticipated investment to $1.75B [4]

  6. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright tours campus [3]

Issues raised

  • Linn County road use agreement required QTS back payments of $117,000+ and future road improvement funding [6]

Sources

  1. Cedar Rapids - QTS Data Centers
    QTS · company
  2. QTS tops out data center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
    DatacenterDynamics · Oct 24, 2025 · news
  3. U.S. Energy Secretary tours Cedar Rapids QTS data center campus
    The Gazette · Apr 24, 2026 · news
  4. Scope of QTS data project in Cedar Rapids continuing to grow
    Corridor Business Journal · Dec 2, 2025 · news
  5. City of Cedar Rapids, Alliant Energy, and QTS Collaborate on New Data Center Campus in Cedar Rapids
    City of Cedar Rapids · Feb 12, 2025 · government
  6. CBJ Newsmakers: First QTS data center buildings near completion
    Corridor Business Journal · Dec 23, 2025 · news
  7. Cedar Rapids council approves development agreement for QTS data center project
    Corridor Business Journal · Jan 30, 2025 · news
  8. Government Notes: Under development agreement, Cedar Rapids would rebate $529 million to data center
    The Gazette · Jan 27, 2025 · news
  9. QTS planning temporary power plant for Cedar Rapids data center
    Corridor Business Journal · May 29, 2026 · news