Menomonie Data Center (Balloonist LLC)
Menomonie, Dunn County, WI
- Rumored
- Proposed
- Approved
- Under construction
- Operating
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Balloonist LLC proposed a $1.6 billion data center on about 320 acres of farmland that the Menomonie City Council annexed from the Town of Red Cedar and rezoned in 2025. In September 2025 Mayor Randy Knaack said the city would not negotiate a development agreement or tax increment district at this time, putting the project on pause.
- Stated investment
- $1.6 billion[1]
- Water use
- 75,000 gal/day
- city estimate, around 75,000 gallons per day
Key facts
Size & schedule
| Site size | 320 acres [1] around 320 acres Source excerpt“The city council has annexed and rezoned around 320 acres of farmland, but some of those who voted yes say they don't necessarily support the data center and need more information from developers.” |
|---|---|
| Stated investment | $1.6 billion [1]Source excerpt“An unnamed tech company is proposing a $1.6 billion data center in the western Wisconsin city of Menomonie — and concerned citizens are raising the alarm.” |
| Permanent jobs (promised) | 50-75 [1] range: between 50 and 75 full-time employees, per city FAQ Source excerpt“would provide up to 1,000 construction jobs and result in between 50 and 75 full time employees working "six-figure jobs."” |
| Construction jobs | 1,000 [1] up to 1,000, per city FAQ |
How big is that? Data center sizes compared with football fields and Central Park.
Water
| Water use | 75,000 gal/day [1] city estimate, around 75,000 gallons per day Source excerpt“The city estimates the data center would use around 75,000 gallons of water per day.” |
|---|
Money & incentives
| Tax incentives | City will not, for now, negotiate a development agreement or set up a tax increment district [3]Source excerpt“the City will not negotiate a development agreement or establish a tax increment district at this time to support a data center.” |
|---|
Local decisions & site
| Zoning | Annexed from the Town of Red Cedar and rezoned [1] |
|---|
Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.
Water and power
Water
- about 75,000 gallons per day [1]Projection or estimate. City estimate for the proposed data center.
Power
Not disclosed. No capacity or power-supply figure is on the record.
Disclosed figures only, each as the cited source states it. Many are projections or permit limits, not metered use. How data center water and power use is measured, and every disclosed figure →
Timeline
Menomonie's city administrator signs a nondisclosure agreement with Balloonist [4]
City council annexes and rezones about 320 acres of farmland for the project [2]
Mayor directs the city administrator to contact Balloonist LLC about his decision [2]
Mayor announces at a council meeting that the city will not move forward with a development agreement [4]
City council votes unanimously to add regulations on data center projects [4]
Mayor says a draft update to the I-4 data center zoning ordinance will be introduced at the Aug. 3 council meeting with no vote, and that Balloonist can apply to rezone to I-4 only after it is adopted [5]
Issues raised
- City officials signed nondisclosure agreements with Balloonist, and the operating company has not been named [1][4]
- Mayor Knaack said he acted after listening to community concerns [2]
Issues are concerns and claims raised by the parties, officials or residents named in the cited sources. They are reported as attributed, not as findings by the Census.
Sources
- $1.6B data center proposed in Menomonie draws strong response from concerned citizensWPR · Sep 5, 2025 · news
- Menomonie mayor puts $1.6B data center proposal on holdWPR · Sep 23, 2025 · news
- Press Release: Mayor Randy Knaack on Data CenterCity of Menomonie · Sep 23, 2025 · government
- One Wisconsin City Beat Back a Data Center. Now Residents Are Helping Others Do the Same.Next City · Apr 20, 2026 · news
- Mayor Matthew Crowe Public Statement, Data Center Ordinance UpdateCity of Menomonie · Jun 30, 2026 · government
Cite this page
Last updated Sep 23, 2026. Figures may change as records are updated — include the date you retrieved them.
| APA | Data Center Census. (2026). Menomonie Data Center (Balloonist LLC). Retrieved from https://datacentercensus.com/dc/balloonist-menomonie-wi |
|---|---|
| MLA | “Menomonie Data Center (Balloonist LLC).” Data Center Census, Sep 23, 2026, https://datacentercensus.com/dc/balloonist-menomonie-wi. |
| Link | https://datacentercensus.com/dc/balloonist-menomonie-wi |
Republishing a figure or table? Attribute it to Data Center Census with a link to this page. The underlying data is downloadable as JSON and CSV; the press kit has standing figures and contact details.