Windsor, Weld County, CO
Global AI Data Center
Also known as Carestream site data center
- Rumored
- Proposed
- Approved
- Under construction
- Operating
New York-based Global AI plans a data center on 41 acres of the 438-acre former Carestream Health (Eastman Kodak) property at 2000 Howard Smith Avenue W near Windsor, starting at 27.5 MW with a stated goal of 1 GW by 2029. Weld County commissioners unanimously approved its special-use permit on Sept. 9, 2026, after the county had issued stop-work orders for unpermitted construction earlier in the summer.
Key facts
Size & schedule
| Planned capacity | 1 GW [1] company goal of 1 GW by 2029 |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 capacity | 27.5 MW [1] |
| Site size | 41 acres [1] data center footprint on a 438-acre property |
| Permanent jobs (promised) | 200 [1] |
| Construction jobs | 1,500 [1] approximately |
| Target completion | First data hall expected operational later in 2026 [1] |
Power
| Utility | Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association (35 MW committed) [1] |
|---|
Water
| Water source | Initial fill of 65,000 gallons with about 6,500 gallons annual top-off [1] |
|---|---|
| Cooling | closed-loop (permit condition) [1] |
Local decisions & site
| Deciding vote | Weld County Board of County Commissioners approved Use by Special Review permit USR26-0019, 5-0, on Sept. 9, 2026 [6]Source excerpt“The 5-0 vote followed an approximately eight-hour hearing on Sept. 9.” |
|---|
Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.
Timeline
Global AI buys 438-acre former Carestream property for $15.6 million [4]
County issues three stop-work orders and a Notice of Violation over unpermitted equipment installation (summer 2026) [2]
Weld County Planning Commission unanimously recommends approval (week before commissioners' vote) [5]
Board of County Commissioners votes 5-0 to approve Use by Special Review permit after eight-hour hearing [2]
Issues raised
- More than 400 written comments raised water and electricity demand, noise, and proximity to a planned 2,000-unit residential development [1]
- Of 39 public speakers at the hearing, 3 supported the project; residents cited the company's unpermitted construction [2][5]
- Residents criticized limited community outreach; a company representative acknowledged it may have been a fault [3]
Sources
- Weld County commissioners approve permit for Global AI data centerColorado Newsline · Sep 10, 2026 · news
- Weld County officials approve construction of what could be the largest data center in the stateColorado Public Radio · Sep 10, 2026 · news
- Weld County approves data center near WindsorDenver7 · Sep 10, 2026 · news
- Weld County commissioners approve permit for Global AI data centerKUNC · Sep 12, 2026 · news
- Weld County officials vote to approve controversial data centerColorado Public Radio · Sep 9, 2026 · news
- Global AI Clears Weld County, Colorado Zoning Hurdle, Project Could Be State's Largest Data CenterConstructConnect · Sep 16, 2026 · news