3,460-acre annexation for Microsoft data center up for final city approval tonight
The Cheyenne City Council is making a final decision tonight on the annexation and rezoning of nearly 3,500 acres for a Microsoft data center campus. The proposal has faced significant public protest and attempts by council members to delay or stop it, including a rejected moratorium on data center development. The project is expected to be developed over the next 10-20 years.
The Cheyenne City Council is set to make a final decision tonight on the annexation of nearly 3,500 acres of land into the city, which Microsoft intends to develop into a data center campus over the next 10 to 20 years.
The proposal, involving the rezoning of 3,459.99 acres known as the Highlands and an additional 387-acre parcel, has been contentious. It faced hours of public protest at city meetings and multiple attempts by council members to halt or slow its progress.
In May, Councilor Mark Moody proposed a 12-month moratorium on all data center development in Cheyenne, but the ordinance failed on its first vote. Subsequently, Councilors Lawrence Wolfe and Pete Laybourn introduced a motion to delay the annexation decision by four months and require Microsoft to pay $50 million for community improvements; this motion also failed. The council will also consider annexing a 34.26-acre plot south of Happy Jack Road, which is intended as a staging area for the Microsoft development.