One of the state’s largest data centers is coming to Parker. Some locals aren’t happy.
Construction is underway for a large Flexential data center in Parker, Colorado, which received local government approval after zoning changes. Many residents are unhappy, claiming they were unaware of the project and public hearings, raising concerns about its environmental impact, including noise, water, and electricity use. A state bill to impose environmental regulations on data centers was rejected, while Denver's City Council enacted a moratorium on new data centers.
Flexential's new $192 million, 22.5-megawatt data center, spanning 249,000 square feet, is under construction in Parker, Colorado, at the intersection of Compark Boulevard and South Chambers Road. Set for completion in January 2027, it will be among the largest data centers in the state.
The project moved forward with the Town of Parker's approval in February 2024, following a unanimous recommendation from its planning commission in January. This approval included amending land-use rules and rezoning portions of the property to Business Employment, adding a data center overlay. Larry Jacobson, a principal at Westside Investment Partners, which helped secure approvals, highlighted the facility's expected annual revenue generation for the town through electricity fees, despite a modest job impact. Supporters, including the Parker Chamber of Commerce and former Mayor Mike Waid, spoke in favor of the development during public hearings.
However, many residents, such as LJ Lilli and Allison Koiner, expressed significant frustration on social media, claiming they were unaware of the project's development and the public hearings until recently. Concerns center on the project's scale, the perceived lack of transparency, and potential environmental impacts. Residents, including Kitty Little, worry about increased noise, energy consumption, and strain on Colorado's limited water resources, despite the data center's planned use of a low-water closed-loop cooling system. The article notes that a state bill to establish environmental regulations for data center development in Colorado, introduced by Sen. Cathy Kipp, was unanimously rejected by the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee in May.
The broader context of the article indicates growing national opposition to data centers, with Data Center Watch reporting $156 billion in blocked or delayed projects in 2025 due to community resistance and legal challenges. Notably, Denver’s City Council also unanimously approved a one-year ban on new data centers in May.