Provo City Council denies rezoning request for data center at East Bay

The Provo City Council voted unanimously 7-0 to deny a developer's request to rezone a property in the East Bay neighborhood to build a 66,000-square-foot data center. The proposal came from property owners B+F Timpanogos Tech Center LLC. The developer argued the data center would provide financial benefits to the city, county, and school district through property taxes, and would not strain Provo's power grid or water system since it planned to use a closed-loop water system. However, Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins opposed the project, saying it would be premature to approve while the city works on its economic development plan. The East Bay neighborhood chairperson Angie Carter also asked the Council to postpone the decision, citing the incomplete economic plan. Some residents raised concerns about the data center's potential impact on the city's power rates and doubts about the viability of the closed-loop water system. Councilmembers also expressed uncertainty about setting a precedent by allowing the facility to be built before the economic plan is finished. Ultimately, the Council decided not to make a permanent land-use decision on the property at this time, opting to wait until the city's broader economic planning process is complete.