QTS tops out first three buildings at $10 billion Cedar Rapids data campus

Cedar Rapids — High winds kept the traditional signing beam from rising above the Big Cedar Industrial Center on Tuesday, but the topping out ceremony for the first three buildings at QTS's data center campus still marked a visible turning point for the $10 billion project.

QTS, owned by Blackstone, and its general contractors Layton Construction and The Weitz Company gathered with state and local officials to mark completion of the structural framework on the first phase of a 612-acre campus planned for seven buildings ranging from 400,000 to 1.2 million square feet each.

The project is described by multiple officials as the largest economic development investment in Cedar Rapids and Iowa history. Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer, Senator Charlie McClintock, Representatives Jeff Cooling and Elizabeth Wilson, and Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell have all publicly backed the development.

Construction is split into two phases: the first expected to finish in 2026, the second in 2027. The campus will use water-free, energy-efficient cooling systems. Alliant Energy will serve the site.

More than 2,000 construction and permanent jobs are projected across the region, though the breakdown between temporary and long-term positions has not been disclosed. No tenants have been announced for the facility.

The topping out follows an August 2025 announcement and a canceled July groundbreaking after a shooting in the Manhattan building housing QTS's parent company. Mayor O'Donnell said at the announcement that QTS "represents a new era for Cedar Rapids — one defined by innovation."