Amazon Weighs Three-Building Data Center on 1,000-Acre West Richland Site in the US

The parcels at the center of Amazon's newest Pacific Northwest data center plans changed hands twice within a week this summer, with the price climbing sharply each time, according to county property records.

A fast-moving land deal

The West Richland land, formerly owned by Frank Tiegs LLC, was first sold July 10 to TC West Richland 1 LLC for USD 82.7 million. Six days later, on July 16, the same parcels were sold to WKC31 Development LLC for USD 263.7 million.

Amazon has now confirmed that it purchased the 1,000 acres in the Lewis & Clark Ranch area of West Richland, land previously held by a development company. The company is considering an initial three-building data center on the agricultural property northeast of Ruppert Road, with the project potentially growing to as many as 21 buildings over time.

No permits filed yet

Despite the scale being contemplated, Amazon stressed that no permit applications have been filed for the project and no required state environmental reviews have begun. An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, "When we consider investing in a community, we think residents deserve a chance to learn what we're doing and ask our team questions directly.

Washington has been our home for over 30 years, so we're committed to growing responsibly and we want the community to leave the open house with a better understanding of this project and what it could mean for the area."

Company plans direct outreach to residents

As part of that effort, Amazon is planning an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 19 at Enterprise Middle School, 5200 Paradise Way, West Richland. The company says it wants to hear from the community about the project and answer questions directly.

Resistance builds before any application

Even with no permits on file, the project could face hostility from some West Richland residents, who have packed city council and planning commission meetings in recent months and posted signs to oppose any data center in city limits.

That opposition was spurred when the property Amazon now owns was purchased by Trammel Crow Company, a development firm that has pursued data center projects nationwide. Opposition has also organized online. A Facebook group, Tri-Cities Data Center Watch, has been formed to oppose data center development and has drawn more than 3,000 members. The group has encouraged members to speak out at city council meetings and send letters asking for a moratorium on data centers.

Council to weigh six-month pause

The West Richland City Council is expected to consider an ordinance at its meeting Nov. 3 that would establish a six-month moratorium on data center development. That would give city officials time to review the impacts of such projects, hear from the public and establish new regulations regarding data center development.

"Although existing city codes and the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) address many of these concerns and establish requirements intended to ensure that development mitigates their impacts and bears its associated costs, public concern regarding the potential impacts of data centers remains," according to a city memo to city council members. The council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at 3100 Belmont Blvd., West Richland, with remote viewing available via Zoom.

Land slated for urban transition

Lewis and Clark Ranch is zoned agricultural but will transition to urban uses over time. The city anticipates the first phase — the development of 750 acres — will be an opportunity to create a vibrant mixed-use city hub offering diverse housing opportunities and encouraging walking and bicycling. The Amazon property is not included in the first phase of the development.

Regional data center push draws scrutiny

Data center projects around the nation have faced increasing pressure from communities concerned about issues ranging from impacts to water and energy resources to sound pollution.

A similar opposition effort is attempting to halt Amazon's planned data center at the Wallula Gap Business Park south of the Tri-Cities in Walla Walla County, a project currently moving through the permitting process. Other data center proposals in the Tri-Cities region include Atlas Agro's proposed Richland data center and the Amazon data center at Wallula Gap.