EdgeCore Secures Mesa Zoning Approval After Reducing Data Center Project Scale

EdgeCore secured Mesa zoning board approval for its Eastmark data center after reducing the project to 1.2M SF, following a $1.9B financing deal in late 2024.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 17, 2026, 9:01 AM EDT

Source: Bisnow

The Revised Development and Infrastructure Plan

The approved plan now consists of two multi-story buildings, each totaling 618,000 square feet, located on a 90-acre site along Mesa’s prominent technology corridor. This revised footprint represents a retreat from the original three-building design, which also included a substantial 350,000-square-foot SRP substation intended to provide an additional 250 megawatts of capacity. By removing the southernmost building, EdgeCore addressed local concerns while maintaining a large-scale enterprise presence. The facility will also include 197 parking spaces and standby generators to ensure operational continuity for future tenants.

Navigating Mesa’s Evolving Regulatory Landscape

EdgeCore’s path to approval was complicated by Mesa’s recent legislative shift regarding data centers. Last summer, city officials enacted strict new regulations confining such projects to specific industrial zones, driven by fears of "land banking" that could prevent aerospace and bioscience firms—which typically offer higher employment densities—from entering the market. However, EdgeCore’s expansion is legally exempt from these newest restrictions because its application was filed in January 2024, prior to the ordinance’s enactment. This grandfathered status allowed the project to proceed even as other developers in the region have seen their data center plans scrapped.

Strategic Rationale and Financial Backing

The Mesa project is supported by a massive $1.9 billion financing package secured by EdgeCore, highlighting the intense capital interest in the Phoenix data center market. The loan was managed by a consortium of major financial institutions, with MUFG Bank serving as the administrative agent and leadership provided by TD Securities, ING Capital LLC, Scotia Bank, and Santander. This capital influx follows EdgeCore's $44 million land acquisition from a Brookfield Properties-linked entity in May 2025. Strategically, the site’s proximity to Mesa Gateway Airport and the East Valley tech corridor makes it a prime location for hyperscale cloud providers seeking low-latency connectivity.