Developers in Arizona are planning to build a $10 billion data center next to Horseshoe Bend, an iconic viewpoint along the Colorado River.
The 500-acre parcel, located a mile from Horseshoe Bend, was previously protected for outdoor recreation.
On October 22, the town of Page sold the property to a company listed as Huntley LLC. for $14,000 per acre—$7 million in total—according to sale documents published online. Developers estimate the build will cost $10 billion and could bring as many as 1,500 jobs to the area, reported the Lake Powell Chronicle.
Horseshoe Bend, often called the Grand Canyon’s East Rim, is a U-shaped curve in the Colorado River that twists along a majestic sandstone outcrop. It sits within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area near Page. The area is overseen by the National Park Service.
It’s also a major tourist attraction—an estimated 4.7 million people visited the viewpoint in 2024 alone, according to the National Park Service. Horseshoe Bend is also located on the Colorado River, five miles downstream from Lake Powell, a critical reservoir that has reached historically low levels in recent years. It’s about a two-hour drive from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
Some residents are unhappy about the plan. A petition to stop the data center’s construction has already netted over 1,800 signatures as of this publication. The document cites concerns over water consumption and contamination, pollution, and an “unsightly blight that will detract from the scenic beauty.”
Data centers are warehouse-like facilities that host computer servers that process cloud computing, streaming, and artificial intelligence tasks. These servers generate immense heat, and keeping them cool requires a large amount of water, the bipartisan think tank Environmental and Energy Study Institute writes.
The plan for the data center hasn’t been officially accepted. The City of Page says the plot of land will need to be rezoned prior to development.
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