Project Bluestem is a proposed data center development in Leavenworth County near the Tonganoxie Business Park.
The project is being developed by Cloverleaf Infrastructure, who is committed to environmental stewardship and protecting the community against potential adverse effects. Project Bluestem will use a closed-loop cooling system, which greatly reduces water use and will fund any power or transmission upgrades required for the project, to protect against an increase to electric rates.
Cloverleaf is committed to being an active, visible partner in Tonganoxie and will engage directly with local officials and residents to understand potential concerns, answer questions, and develop a project that delivers lasting benefits. At this time, the development is conceptual and no formal requests have been submitted to the local jurisdictions for project approvals or permits.
Project Bluestem represents a multi-billion-dollar taxable investment, which will inject a significant amount of new tax revenue into Leavenworth County and the Tonganoxie communities.
During the 2+ year construction period for Phase I, Project Bluestem will create over 1,000 construction jobs, partnering with local union and labor groups and sourcing from the local workforce through training programs.
Once the data center is operational, the initial operational phase is expected to employ over 50 full-time jobs with over 200 full-time jobs at full build out. These jobs are high-paying positions such as data center technicians, network engineers, and IT support staff that often do not require four-year university degrees. A local workforce is preferred and usually sourced through local training programs funded by the end user.
Project Bluestem commits to using a closed-loop cooling system requiring a one-time fill designed by licensed Kansas engineers. The building will only use as much water as an office building on a day-to-day basis and will not affect local water supplies.
Project Bluestem commits to funding any power and transmission upgrades required for the project, to protect existing ratepayers from an increase in their electricity bills.
Project Bluestem is committed to partnering with the local community to invest in community-driven initiatives.
Frenchtown Township Michigan Historical Marker, photograph by Dwight Burdette, via Wikimedia Commons.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frenchtown_Township_Michigan_Historical_Marker.JPG
Tonganoxie and the surrounding parts of Leavenworth County are well positioned for thoughtful new infrastructure investment. The area sits close to the Kansas City region, which provides access to the power and internet infrastructure that modern data centers require to support the country’s growing digital economy.
Leavenworth County has also demonstrated a long-standing interest in supporting economic growth that strengthens the local tax base and expands opportunities for residents. Communities like Tonganoxie have carefully managed growth over the past decade, welcoming new industry while maintaining the character and quality of life that residents value.
For Cloverleaf Infrastructure, locations like Tonganoxie represent a place where responsible development can align with local priorities. The region’s available infrastructure, strategic location within the Midwest, and pro-growth mindset create an opportunity to deliver critical digital infrastructure while generating long-term economic benefits for the community.
Data Centers are highly secure buildings filled with computer servers that store, process, and move data around the world. They are where the internet lives. Instead of information being stored on your phone or computer alone, data centers safely store it and make sure it’s available whenever you need it.
These facilities power almost everything we do in today’s world – banking, healthcare, education, farming technology, government services and business operations all depend on them. As more homes, farms, and businesses rely on digital tools, the need for reliable data centers grows.
Components of an AI Data Center Campus; source: ULI White Paper “Local Guidelines for Data Center Development”
Data centers provide meaningful local benefits, including well-paying construction jobs, support for local vendors, and millions of dollars in tax revenue that fund municipal services, schools, infrastructure, and emergency response. They also strengthen grid reliability by driving investment in new generation and transmission infrastructure, helping maintain stability during periods of peak demand and extreme weather.
Data centers are the backbone of our digital economy – keeping our communities connected, supporting innovation, and powering the tools we use every day.
Cloverleaf Infrastructure is an industrial real estate developer specializing in data centers. Cloverleaf prepares land for technology companies that build and operate data centers — the facilities that store and process information for things like the internet, cloud services, and everyday online tools. Once sites have all the needed local approvals ahead of construction and power confirmed to the site, Cloverleaf will look for the right data center company to build and operate the facility.
