Construction is officially underway on a massive $15 billion data center campus in Port Washington, marking one of the largest economic development projects in Wisconsin’s history.
.jpg)
Denver-based Vantage Data Centers broke ground Wednesday on its 672-acre campus near Interstate 43, roughly 27 miles north of Milwaukee. The multi-phase development will include four buildings totaling approximately 2.5 million square feet and is designed to deliver up to 902 megawatts of capacity. Project completion is expected in 2028, according to company officials.
The Port Washington campus is part of the broader $500 billion Stargate artificial intelligence data center initiative led by OpenAI and Oracle, aimed at expanding AI infrastructure nationwide.
The development is expected to generate more than 4,000 construction jobs during the buildout and about 1,000 permanent jobs once operational, along with thousands of indirect jobs across the region, according to Milwaukee 7.
In October, Vantage announced a labor agreement with the Wisconsin Building Trades Council to ensure the Lighthouse data center campus is built using union labor.
Several state, regional and local leaders attended Wednesday’s groundbreaking, including Emily Pritzkow, executive director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council; Dan Bukiewicz, president of the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council; Chris Mambu Rasch, executive director of Building Advantage; Gale Klappa, chair of the board at WEC Energy Group and co-chair of Milwaukee 7; and Ted Neitzke IV, mayor of Port Washington.
“I can’t wait for the day that we have this world-class project open, that people identify Port Washington for two things: our history and our future, that we are a model of sustainability across the state and country,” Neitzke said in a statement.
“For Port Washington, we see a city poised for new life, for economic growth and a new era of prosperity, investment and a greater quality of life,” Klappa said in statement.
Turner, McCarthy, Whiting-Turner and Weitz are serving on the construction team, with additional local contractors and subcontractors participating in the project.
Despite its economic potential, the project has drawn scrutiny from environmental advocates and residents concerned about energy and water usage. Data center developments in Port Washington, Mount Pleasant and Beaver Dam have sparked debate statewide, particularly due to their proximity to Lake Michigan and the significant power demands associated with large-scale facilities. The Port Washington campus could become one of the largest data centers in the country, according to The Conversation.
Opposition has also surfaced locally. A group of residents has filed paperwork seeking to recall Mayor Neitzke, claiming insufficient public communication about the project and concerns over environmental impacts and rising energy costs, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Neitzke, however, said the project has secured all necessary permits and finalized a tax increment district agreement with the city.
Vantage has emphasized sustainability measures as a core component of the campus design. Company officials said the facility will feature a closed-loop liquid cooling system intended to minimize water usage. Vantage has also stated it aims to support renewable energy development to meet the campus’ power needs while adding capacity to the local grid.
In addition, the company plans to preserve 172 acres of the site to support biodiversity and provide natural sound mitigation, officials said.
Originally reported by Ethan Duran in The Daily Reporter.
