Massive Cedar Rapids data center launch postponed after tragedy in New York

Plans to break ground on a massive $750 million data center campus in southwest Cedar Rapids were shelved at the last minute on Monday, July 28, 2025. The cancellation came in the wake of a fatal shooting in New York City at a Manhattan office building housing Blackstone.

QTS, operating as a Blackstone portfolio company, announced the decision late Monday. The Manhattan shooting claimed four lives, including Blackstone employee Wesley LePatner, prompting the firm to scrap next-day ceremonial plans across its portfolio.

The high-profile event was set to feature Governor Kim Reynolds, QTS co-CEOs, and local leaders at the Big Cedar Industrial Center. The project spans 612 acres of the 1,391-acre industrial park owned by Alliant Energy and marks the largest economic development project in Cedar Rapids history.

"We care deeply about the communities where we live and work together, and our hearts and prayers are with those impacted," QTS said in a statement provided to local media.

City leaders and corporate partners had advanced the project earlier in the year, with the Cedar Rapids City Council approving a formal development agreement with QTS Cedar Rapids LLC on January 28, 2025. The facility is slated to use a waterless cooling system.

While the ceremonial launch was shelved, QTS proceeded with a formal corporate announcement for the Cedar Rapids campus on August 8, 2025. It remains unconfirmed when or if the physical groundbreaking ceremony will be rescheduled.