Auburndale could be getting a major data center: Here's what we know
Hillwood Development Company is proposing the Auburndale Technology Center, a data center conversion project on a 75-acre industrial site in Auburndale, Florida. The phased development could require up to 700 megawatts of electricity, use closed-loop cooling, and create hundreds of permanent jobs, with the first buildings targeted for operation by 2029.
Hillwood Development Company is advancing plans to convert two existing warehouse buildings at an industrial property in Auburndale into the Auburndale Technology Center. The first phase is estimated at $71.1 million and would require about 350 megawatts of electricity, while the full project could reach 700 megawatts. Tampa Electric Company is expected to provide the power, with Hillwood saying it will cover the associated generation and delivery costs.
The project is expected to use about 4,665 gallons of water per day through a closed-loop cooling system and would include noise-control measures. Hillwood projects 292 permanent jobs, up to 1,300 construction jobs, and significant economic and tax benefits, though those figures are developer estimates. A commercial building permit application was submitted to the City of Auburndale, and Mayor Alex Cam said the project remains in its early stages and is not expected to require a City Commission vote because the buildings already exist.