Related Digital breaks ground on $1.2bn Cheyenne data center campus: what real estate and construction teams should know
Related Digital has started construction on a $1.2 billion data center campus in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The 115-acre site on Cheyenne Business Parkway is planned to scale up to 302MW, with CoreWeave secured as anchor tenant under a long-term lease for 88MW.
Local leaders joined Related Digital, CoreWeave, and Clayco at the groundbreaking. The project is pitched as a major economic catalyst for the city and state, with a build program that favors speed, scale, and low-water operations.
Project snapshot
- Location: 115 acres on Cheyenne Business Parkway, Cheyenne, WY
- Total planned capacity: up to 302MW
- Anchor tenant: CoreWeave, 88MW long-term lease
- Phase I building: 184,000 sq ft (approx. 17,094 sqm), targeted completion by end of 2026
- Economic impact: $250m+ in projected tax revenue over 15 years
- Jobs: 700+ construction roles during buildout, ~40 permanent positions
- Cooling: Air-cooled design with nominal water use (primarily domestic)
Why this matters for developers and contractors
Pre-leased scale reduces financing risk and accelerates schedules. With 302MW potential, expect high-voltage interconnect work, substantial switchgear and generator procurement, and tight coordination with utilities.
The air-cooled approach minimizes water infrastructure burden-important in Wyoming-streamlining permitting and civil scope tied to process water. It also concentrates effort on electrical, mechanical, and thermal containment performance.
Timeline and delivery
The first building is slated for completion by the end of 2026. Given current lead times on electrical equipment, early procurement and modular strategies will likely be critical to hold schedule.
Expect phased delivery to align with tenant ramp. The amount of initial IT space wasn't disclosed, but the site is designed to scale beyond the first building as demand grows.
Economic and community impact
The campus is expected to generate more than $250 million in tax revenue for Wyoming and Cheyenne over the first 15 years. Construction demand should support over 700 jobs, with around 40 permanent roles once operational.
Leaders emphasized local benefits. Related's CEO noted the project's role in building AI infrastructure while driving regional growth. Wyoming's governor highlighted the low-water design as a fit for local resource priorities.
Utilities and sustainability
An air-cooled design with nominal water use reduces strain on municipal systems and lowers the risk of water-driven delays. It shifts critical-path focus to power availability, thermal efficiency, and site electrical design.
For EPCs and subs, that means deeper coordination on power delivery, containment, and energy efficiency measures to support AI loads at scale.
Market context
Related Digital, launched by Related Companies, reports a 5GW North American pipeline with additional developments in Ontario and Illinois. The Cheyenne project adds large-scale AI capacity in a market with relatively few existing facilities.
Wyoming hosts deployments by Microsoft and Meta, while Prometheus Hyperscale, Crusoe, and 1547 CSR are also active. The state's pro-development posture and available land make it a candidate for further large-scale builds.
Actionable takeaways for real estate and construction teams
- Preconstruction now: lock in long-lead electrical gear and coordinate with utilities on interconnect milestones.
- Design for AI density: plan for high power density, airflow management, and rapid scalability across phases.
- Labor planning: align workforce ramp with 2026 milestones; engage local trades early to stabilize capacity.
- Municipal alignment: leverage the project's low-water profile to streamline approvals and site servicing.
- Supply chain risk: diversify vendors for transformers, switchgear, and backup power; consider modular assemblies.
CoreWeave's presence signals durable demand for AI-ready capacity. For owners and GCs, the combination of an anchor tenant, scalable power, and water-light design is a workable template for similar sites in land- and power-favorable markets.
Learn more about CoreWeave's AI cloud approach here: CoreWeave.
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