Pima County approves Project Blue specific plan and sale for 290-acre data center site

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a comprehensive plan amendment and specific plan and to authorize a purchase and sale agreement that will allow development of a large data center project on 290.31 acres at Houghton Road and Interstate 10.

The specific plan and comprehensive plan amendment were approved after a public hearing and debate; the board approved the plan 3–2 (Chair Rex Scott, Supervisor Christie and Supervisor Hines voting yes; Supervisors Allen and Connell voting no). Later, the board approved the county’s purchase and sale agreement tied to the site and property sale after additional motions and reconsideration; the final recorded vote on the land sale measure was 3–2 (Scott, Christie and Hines in favor; Allen and Cano opposed). The contract sets an appraisal-based sale price of $20,875,000 and includes performance requirements tied to construction timing and the creation of local jobs.

Why it matters: proponents argued the project will deliver large infrastructure investments — notably an 18‑mile reclaimed‑water transmission main and a 30‑acre aquifer recharge and recovery facility that would be transferred to Tucson Water — and bring construction jobs and…