QTS Big Cedar: $10B 7-Building AI Campus Cedar Rapids Iowa

Status: Under Construction (Phase 1 Topped Out; Phase 2 Mobilizing)   |   Location: Cedar Rapids (Linn County), Iowa

Project Overview

Formally announced in August 2025, Project Big Cedar represents a landmark $10 billion investment by QTS Data Centers aimed at firmly establishing Iowa as a leading global hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure. Located within the 612-acre Big Cedar Industrial Center in Cedar Rapids, the campus is being developed in close collaboration with the city government and Alliant Energy to support next-generation, high-density AI training workloads. Following the successful topping out of its first three buildings in late 2025, the project has rapidly advanced, with construction activity intensifying to a workforce of more than 1,200 personnel on-site as of March 2026. A key differentiator of the development is QTS’s adoption of advanced water-free cooling technology, a strategic choice in a region where water resources are critical to agriculture; this system is projected to conserve approximately 4 billion gallons of water annually compared to traditional evaporative cooling methods. The project also reflects a strong public-private partnership model, underpinned by a 70% property tax rebate over a 20-year period and a significant $18 million contribution from QTS to Cedar Rapids’ Community Betterment Fund. Beyond infrastructure, Project Big Cedar is expected to drive long-term economic growth, job creation, and regional competitiveness in the rapidly expanding AI economy.

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