Real estate firm Karis is reportedly behind a proposed data center project in Dubuque County, Iowa.
County officials had refused to identify the company, which was looking to purchase hundreds of acres of land near Dubuque Regional Airport.
However, through a public records request, local news was able to obtain emails identifying Karis as the interested buyer.
Dubuque County is one of many county-level jurisdictions in the US that have implemented a moratorium on data centers. The pause, which is currently set for 12 months, was brought about after rumors emerged of developers purchasing land south of Dubuque city for data center development.
Earlier this month, Dubuque County local news reported that nearly 300 people had attended a local town hall on data centers. Some 30 locals voiced concerns about the effects a data center development could have on water quality, property value, utility infrastructure, and future economic development.
Local officials are working on an ordinance on data centers and have requested public input.
Karis’s proposed project is likely still in the early stages and subject to the current Dubuque County moratorium.
Karis is a real estate developer across a number of different sectors with experience in critical infrastructure and data center projects.
The company launched Karis Critical in 2024, describing it as a data center platform focusing on powered land and data center development.
According to the company, Karis Critical has assembled more than 1,500 acres and 3GW of potential capacity in the data center sector.
Earlier this year, Karis proposed a data center in Chicago, Illinois, which was denied by the Naperville City Council after backlash from local residents. It is now targeting a different site in Naperville.
The company is known to be developing a further site in DeKalb, Illinois, and is targeting other sites in Ohio. It also lists other potential projects in Aiken, South Carolina; New Albany, Ohio; and Birmingham, Alabama.