New 160-acre data center proposed in Sahuarita
A 160-acre, eight-building data center project known as Project Gravel is proposed near Sahuarita, Arizona, on land owned by Sahuarita Holdings, LLC. The project's review coincides with Pima County's consideration of a 120-day data center moratorium, driven by public backlash against similar developments. The proposed site requires zoning review as some parcels are currently zoned for rural homesteads.
Project Gravel, an eight-building data center development, is proposed for 160 acres of vacant land near Sahuarita in unincorporated Pima County, Arizona. The land, owned by Sahuarita Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Idaho-based W.R Henderson construction, would host buildings totaling approximately 1.6 million square feet and include its own substation, with full build-out anticipated by 2029.
The proposed site includes parcels currently zoned for rural homesteads and one for general industrial use, which previously housed a mining and agricultural chemical plant. Contractors have been assessing the land's environmental state, floodplain conditions, and cultural significance since at least August 2025.
This proposal emerges as Pima County grapples with significant public opposition to data center developments, including "Project Blue." The Pima County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to discuss a 120-day data center moratorium, which, if approved, would pause permitting until mid-January while the county revises its zoning code in response to past public backlash. Separately, another potential data center near Rancho Sahuarita is drawing community organization, although no official proposal has been made for that site.