The Daily Dig
Prime Data Centers has broken ground on three of five planned buildings at its PHX01 campus in Avondale, Arizona, advancing a $3 billion investment in the Greater Phoenix region. The 66.5-acre site sits at 3700 S. Avondale Boulevard, and Prime acquired the land in April 2023 for roughly $28.9 million.
The full campus is designed for 240MW of IT capacity across five hyperscale data centers totaling 1.3 million square feet. Each building covers 267,000 sq ft and carries 48MW of IT load. The utility provider is SRP, cooling runs on a combination of closed air loop and liquid systems, and the mechanical and electrical design is built to N+1 redundancy. Prime has committed to 100% renewable energy across the campus.
Prime has commissioned a 250MW on-site substation for the campus. Phase I of that substation will provide 144MW of IT capacity when completed. All three buildings currently under construction have been secured by a leading hyperscaler. The two remaining buildings have not yet started and are still available.
ARCOMurray is serving as construction manager on the campus. Private investment firm Grain Management completed a significant preferred equity investment in Data Realty Holding Corp., Prime's controlling shareholder, providing additional capital behind Prime's expansion. Globally, Prime carries 7GW of operational and planned capacity, with U.S. projects in Texas, Illinois, and California, alongside European campuses in Germany and Spain.
Snapshot:
Project Name: PHX01
Developer: Prime Data Centers
Construction Manager: ARCOMurray
Location: 3700 S. Avondale Boulevard, Avondale, Arizona
Site Size: 66.5 acres
Total Investment: $3 billion
Total Campus Capacity: 240MW IT load
Total Buildings: 5 hyperscale data centers
Total Campus Size: 1.3 million sq ft
Building Size (each): 267,000 sq ft
Capacity per Building: 48MW IT load
Data Halls: 20
Utility Provider: SRP
Substation: On-site, 250MW commissioned
Phase I Substation Capacity: 144MW IT load (when completed)
Cooling: Closed air loop and liquid
Redundancy: N+1
Connectivity: Multiple carriers in proximity
Security: Comprehensive, layered protection
Sustainability: Committed to 100% renewable energy
Compliance: SOC2 Type II, ISO 27001 (projected)
Buildings Under Construction: 3 (secured by leading hyperscaler)
Buildings Available: 2
Land Purchase Price: ~$28.9 million
Land Acquisition Date: April 2023
Groundbreaking Date: May 21, 2026
Sector: Data Center / Digital Infrastructure
Status: Under Construction (Buildings 1-3)
TheJobWalk Thoughts
Three buildings under construction across identical 267,000 sq ft floor plates means the MEP scope is essentially the same job three times over. Trades that can staff consistently across all three buildings without degrading quality or schedule between them will have a real advantage when it comes to repeat work on buildings four and five.
The 250MW on-site substation is its own construction project running in parallel with the buildings. Electrical contractors and gear suppliers should be tracking the SRP coordination and Phase I commissioning schedule closely. On a campus this size, utility delays are one of the most common reasons building completion gets pushed, and 144MW has to be online before the first tenants can operate.
ARCOMurray is running construction, and they have a deep track record in hyperscale data center work. Subcontractors who want a seat on this job, or on the two remaining unawarded buildings, need to be in front of them now. On a $3 billion campus with a hyperscaler already committed to the first three buildings, the procurement window for what comes next will move faster than most people expect.
