Amazon has purchased 348 acres of land in Becker, Minnesota, for a data center project. According to a real estate filing published with the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the parcel will be used for a data center and was previously part of Xcel Energy Inc.'s Sherco Site.
Xcel spokesperson Kevin Cross said last week: "Working with businesses looking to expand into these communities brings about economic growth and job creation. As the electric provider for the area, we will be engaged in the site development process and providing the electricity needed to reliably power the site once operational."
Sold by Elk River Technologies, the land was first purchased from Xcel in April for $7.97m, meaning the latest purchase from Amazon is a significant markup. Xcel Energy said at the time that Elk River Technologies was looking to develop a "turnkey data center development" on the site with an estimated $1 billion in investment to the city of Becker. The project is expected to see 1,200 construction jobs created, followed by 100 permanent roles upon completion.
