The City of West Richland confirmed Nov. 2 that Amazon is the buyer behind a large land purchase in the Lewis and Clark Ranch area north of Ruppert Road, ending months of speculation about who was behind a possible data center campus there, according to NBC Right Now.
The property had previously been purchased by data center developer Trammell Crow, whose involvement sparked months of opposition from residents worried about noise, water use and electricity costs. The city said no development applications have been submitted and officials have not approved any data center project.
What Amazon is proposing
Amazon's initial plan calls for three buildings that the company estimates would create 120 to 150 full-time jobs and generate millions of dollars in local tax revenue, according to TriYakNews. If the campus reaches full build-out, it could grow to as many as 21 buildings and employ more than 1,000 full-time workers.
The land itself has a complicated recent history. The parcel, formerly owned by Frank Tiegs LLC, sold July 10 to an entity called TC West Richland 1 LLC for $82.7 million, per AppleValleyNewsNow. That figure is lower than the roughly $264 million land deal The Columbian reported in September for the broader roughly 1,000-acre Lewis and Clark Ranch property, which appears to involve multiple parcels beyond the one now tied to Amazon. The discrepancy has not yet been reconciled with county records.
Council vote set for Tuesday
The West Richland City Council is scheduled to consider interim development regulations for data centers at its Nov. 3 meeting. A city memo prepared ahead of the meeting states that existing city codes and state environmental review requirements already address many community concerns, even as public worry over data center impacts continues, according to Tri-Cities Business News.
The interim rules would set temporary standards while the city studies the issue further and works toward permanent regulations. Tri-Cities Data Center Watch, a local group that has organized against the project, argues the proposed interim rules don't go far enough to protect residents, according to TriYakNews.
Earlier council meetings on the original land sale to Trammell Crow drew dozens of speakers raising the same concerns now resurfacing — potential environmental damage, higher utility prices and noise pollution from the facilities — according to TriYakNews.
What's next
Amazon plans to hold a community open house Nov. 19, with additional details expected from the city beforehand, according to NBC Right Now. Residents who want to weigh in on the interim regulations can attend Tuesday's council meeting, where the ordinance is on the agenda.
The West Richland proposal is one of several competing data center projects moving through the region, alongside Atlas Agro's proposed Richland facility and a separate Amazon data center planned near Wallula Gap, according to TriYakNews.
Still unresolved: how the council votes Tuesday, whether the final ordinance addresses Tri-Cities Data Center Watch's objections, and how much water and power the full 21-building build-out would require. Those numbers have not yet appeared in any public document reviewed so far.
