First QTS buildings near finish as company makes its case to Corridor leaders

Three data center buildings have topped out at the QTS campus in the Big Cedar Industrial Center, and the first structures are nearing completion as of late December. The 612-acre site will eventually hold seven buildings backed by a $10 billion investment — the largest single economic development project in Cedar Rapids history.

The scale is visible from the highway. Less visible is the argument QTS is making about why it matters. On Oct. 9, David McCall, identified as a QTS evangelist, addressed a Corridor Business Journal symposium. His message: data centers and artificial intelligence are already central to modern society.

The company, owned by Blackstone, expects the campus to generate more than 2,000 construction and permanent jobs. City Council signed off on the development agreement in January. Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell framed the announcement as "a new era for Cedar Rapids — one defined by innovation" and said the city was "proud to begin building that future with QTS."

For Linn County residents, the project brings concrete construction jobs and permanent tech roles. It also brings questions: how Alliant Energy will meet the load, whether the workforce pipeline can keep pace, and what happens when the region's largest employer is a facility built for machines, not people. The symposium was QTS's chance to answer the "why" before the campus is fully operational.