Advisory Planning Commission OKs plan-development amendment, subdivision to retain data center at former Thomson Reuters campus

The Eagan Advisory Planning Commission on April 22 recommended approval of a plan development amendment and a preliminary subdivision that would retain and renovate an existing data center at the former Thomson Reuters campus and create one lot and one outlot on roughly 40.57 acres south of Opperman Drive.

Planner Dusiak presented the application from Ryan Companies, saying the subject site is about 40 acres and that the applicant proposes to retain a two-story, 155,000-square-foot data center building rather than demolish it as originally envisioned in the 2024 redevelopment plan. The proposal includes interior and exterior renovations, a new parking lot east of the building, and a high-security fence around the site. No expansion of the building footprint is proposed.

The nut graf: The subdivision would create a 10-acre Lot 1 for the data center with an outlot reserved for future development; the plan development amendment modifies the previously approved master plan to accommodate the retained building and reconfigure footprints for two additional future buildings on the larger parcel.

Peter Fitzgerald of Ryan Companies said retaining the building and finding a colocation interconnection operator was a positive outcome after earlier plans to demolish the structures. "By the time we were submitting for preliminary approvals ... we were quite convinced that all buildings would have to come down," Fitzgerald said, describing how a new operator changed that outcome.

Representatives from the prospective operator, identified in the hearing as Project Vanderbilt, said the building will operate as a carrier-neutral interconnection data center that aims to use the same or less power, water and sewer as the previous user. Applicant materials and staff reports say the existing site utilities and stormwater ponds can serve the building; staff also noted the project increases retained healthy trees near the building and assigns mitigation responsibilities for overall site tree requirements.

Dusiak told commissioners the proposed subdivision includes a deviation from the subdivision ordinance because Lot 1 would have no public street frontage; access will be provided over shared private drives and easements consistent with the redevelopment plan. The staff report lists conditions for both actions; the applicants agreed to those conditions at the hearing.

Commissioners asked technical questions about square footage and generator access. Applicant representatives confirmed a "trap door" access is proposed to bring generators into a below-grade area to avoid building a separate exterior structure. Member Bultema said reusing the building "feels like a win," and no members of the public spoke on the item.

Vice Chair Schwanke moved to recommend approval of the plan development amendment (including staff conditions 1–22); the motion passed 6-0. The commission then approved the preliminary subdivision to create one lot and one outlot with 21 conditions by a 6-0 vote. Staff indicated the items will likely appear on a City Council agenda on May 6 for final action.