North Loop Star Tribune plant data center plan faces Minneapolis moratorium debate
Legacy Investing plans to convert the former Star Tribune printing facility in Minneapolis' North Loop into a data center, a proposal that has sparked a City Council debate over a downtown moratorium.[1]
The building has been empty since Star Tribune printing ended last year, and Legacy has not announced a construction timeline or responded to requests for comment.[1] Minneapolis Downtown Council CEO Adam Duininck says the project could reduce downtown's roughly 30% vacancy rate and help shift property-tax burdens off homeowners, renters and small businesses.[1] Council Member Michael Rainville explicitly backs the plan as a way to broaden the tax base, saying residents and small businesses are "getting crushed" by current taxes.[1] Council Member Aurin Chowdhury warns a low-job data center may not be the best use of prime downtown land and says she wants "real commitments" on clean energy and community benefits from Legacy.[1]
Bizjournals reported that Legacy Investing bought the former Star Tribune printing facility in the North Loop.[2] The City Council recently enacted a pause on new downtown data centers larger than 350,000 square feet through November, a measure Council Member Chowdhury supported to press for stronger clean-energy and community-benefit commitments.[1]
Early business reporting framed the purchase as a potential way to lower vacancy and broaden the tax base.[2] Recent coverage and council debate have shifted focus toward environmental impacts, the low job density of data centers and demands for community activation tied to any redevelopment.[1]
Show source details & analysis (2 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- Legacy Investing plans to convert the former Star Tribune printing facility into a data center; the building has been empty since Star Tribune printing ended last year (Legacy Investing).
- Minneapolis Downtown Council CEO Adam Duininck frames the project as a way to reduce downtown’s roughly 30% vacancy rate and shift property-tax burden off homeowners, renters and small businesses (Minneapolis Downtown Council CEO Adam Duininck).
- Council Member Michael Rainville explicitly backs the project as a way to broaden the tax base, saying residents and small businesses are “getting crushed” by current taxes (Council Member Michael Rainville).
- Council Member Aurin Chowdhury has raised environmental and community-activation concerns, questioning whether a low-job data center is the best use of prime downtown land and pressing for “real commitments” on clean energy and community benefits from Legacy (Council Member Aurin Chowdhury).
- The city council recently passed a pause on new downtown data centers larger than 350,000 square feet through November; Chowdhury supported the moratorium as part of pushing for stronger community and clean-energy commitments (pause on new downtown data centers larger than 350,000 square feet).
- No construction timeline has been announced, and Legacy Investing did not respond to FOX 9’s requests for comment, as reported by FOX 9 on Monday, August 3, 2026 (FOX 9).
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- FOX 9 confirms Legacy Investing’s plan is specifically to convert the site into a data center and that the building has been empty since Star Tribune printing ended last year.
- Minneapolis Downtown Council CEO Adam Duininck publicly frames the project as a way to reduce downtown’s roughly 30% vacancy rate and shift property tax burden off homeowners, renters and small businesses.
- Council Member Michael Rainville explicitly backs the project as a way to broaden the tax base in his ward, saying residents and small businesses are "getting crushed" by current taxes.
- Council Member Aurin Chowdhury highlights environmental and community-activation concerns, questioning whether a low-job data center is the best use of prime downtown land.
- FOX 9 reports the council recently passed a pause on new downtown data centers larger than 350,000 square feet through November, with Chowdhury supporting the moratorium and pushing for "real commitments" on clean energy and community benefits from Legacy.
- No construction timeline has been announced, and Legacy Investing did not respond to FOX 9’s requests for comment.