$300M AI data centre proposed for Red Deer County's Junction 42
Wave Infrastructure Ltd. has applied to buy a 12-acre lot along Highway 2 for a five-megawatt AI research lab, but the project still needs rezoning and a public hearing before it can proceed.
Why it matters
The project could bring major infrastructure investment and jobs to Red Deer County, but residents will have a formal say before any rezoning is approved.
Red Deer County has announced a potential land sale at the Junction 42 Business Park to Wave Infrastructure Ltd., which wants to build an estimated $300 million AI research lab. The company applied to purchase Lot 24, a 12-acre site along Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton, where it plans a five-megawatt data centre.
The county bought the land in 2018 to help establish a commercial, industrial and agri-business hub. Under the original purchase agreement, the county must now apply to rezone the property, triggering the same public approval process used for other rezoning applications, including a public hearing to be posted at rdcounty.ca/publichearings. Residents will be able to submit input in writing, in person, or by phone or video conference. The developer is also expected to hold its own community engagement, including at least one public open house.
Mayor Brent Ramsay said council is committed to an open process and will weigh the application alongside resident feedback and requirements under the Municipal Government Act. The county stressed that rezoning the land would not amount to approval of a data centre, only that it would become a permitted use; further approvals, including from the Alberta Utilities Commission, would be required separately.
This proposal comes as another AI data centre, led by Havenz Smart Communities, has already been approved for a 120-acre site in the county's Blindman Industrial Park. That project, known as the AHI Hub of Innovation, is under construction with first power expected in 2027.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.