Data centers in Hennepin County, Minnesota: 4 projects mapped

Imagery: Esri, Maxar

Minneapolis has spent 2026 deciding whether data centers belong in the city. The City Council passed a six-month moratorium on new data centers citywide on June 25, with one exception for smaller downtown projects, and must decide by Nov. 21, 2026 whether to extend the pause or write permanent rules. Minnetrista, which has had no applications, adopted its own one-year moratorium on Aug. 3.

The downtown exception got its first test when Legacy Investing signed to buy the Star Tribune's shuttered printing plant for a 20-megawatt data center. Hundreds of residents opposed it at neighborhood forums in August over its environmental impact and jobs; in September the company withdrew its application and pulled out of the deal. Council member Aurin Chowdhury, the pause's lead author, said the city lacks "a modern regulatory framework for data centers," while Michael Rainville called it "policy by fear, not facts."

Elsewhere the scale is smaller. Robbinsdale approved a variance for a 4,000-square-foot facility that US Internet's chief financial officer called "really a switching station," not one of "the big behemoths." The county's table also lists Digital Realty and T5 Data Centers sites in Minneapolis, with no stage or size yet reported.

Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.