Monticello MN Data Center Construction Timeline & Phase Breakdown
The Most Detailed 2026–2029 Timeline Publicly Available (Updated November 29, 2025)
Two separate hyperscale campuses.
Over 4.3 million square feet of new data center space. Thousands of high-paying construction and trade jobs starting in less than 6 months.
If you’re a contractor, subcontractor, staffing agency, or skilled tradesperson in Minnesota (or willing to travel), this is the one page you need to bookmark right now.
Below is the full expected construction timeline and phase-by-phase breakdown for both projects — compiled from city council minutes, Xcel Energy interconnection filings, MPCA environmental worksheets, and developer announcements as of late November 2025.
PROJECT 1: Microsoft / Frattalone Companies – 3 Million sq ft Campus
Location: 300+ acres along Highway 25, Monticello (former Sherco coal plant buffer land)
Total Power Load: 400+ MW (one of the largest single-site loads in Minnesota history)
Expected Groundbreaking: April–June 2026
Full Build-Out Horizon: 2029–2031 (six 500,000 sq ft buildings delivered in sequence)
PHASE 1 – Site Preparation & Critical Infrastructure
Q2 2026 – Q4 2026 (9 months)
- Full clearing and grading of 300+ acres
- Construction of new dedicated access roads off Hwy 25
200+ MW primary substation (Xcel partnership) - Installation of water reclamation and cooling lines
- Early fiber optic conduit runs Estimated peak workforce this phase: 250–350 workers This is when heavy equipment operators, surveyors, and sitework subs make their money first.
PHASE 2 – Buildings 1 & 2 Shell & Core
Q1 2027 – Q1 2028 (12–14 months)
- Structural steel erection begins late Q1 2027
- Two 500,000 sq ft data halls + central utility building
- First building expected to be topped out by Christmas 2027 Peak workforce: 800–1,000+ workers — the absolute heaviest period for ironworkers, crane operators, concrete finishers, and laborers.
PHASE 3 – Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) Fit-Outs
Q2 2028 – Q4 2028 (9–12 months)
The longest-lead and most lucrative phase for skilled trades:
- Thousands of tons of chillers, generators, and UPS systems
- Hundreds of miles of high-voltage cable and bus duct
- Process piping for chilled water loops
- Full fire-suppression (NOVEC/vape systems) and security fit-out This phase alone will keep electricians, pipe fitters, and controls techs busy non-stop.
PHASE 4 – Buildings 3–6 + Final Campus Amenities
2029 – 2031
- Four additional 500k sq ft halls
- On-site wastewater treatment and cooling plant expansion
- Final perimeter fencing, landscaping, and employee amenities
PROJECT 2: Scannell Properties / Xcel Energy – 1.3 Million sq ft “Monticello Tech Park”
Location: Former Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant site
Tenant: Widely expected to be another hyperscaler (Google, Meta, or Oracle rumored)
Expected Groundbreaking: Q3 2026 – Q1 2027
First Buildings Online: Late 2028
PHASE 1 – Demolition & Remediation
COMPLETED 2024–2025
The old nuclear structures are already gone and the site has been declared clean by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — a huge head-start most data center sites never get.
PHASE 2 – New Infrastructure & Substation
Q3 2026 – Q2 2027
- New 150–200 MW substation tie-in
- Road extensions and upgraded stormwater systems
- Fiber backbone from Twin Cities metro
PHASE 3 – First Two Buildings (750,000 sq ft total)
Q3 2027 – Q4 2028
Shell-and-core completion targeted for Q4 2028, with tenant fit-out starting immediately.
PHASE 4 – Final Building (550,000 sq ft)
2029–2030
THE OVERLAP:
2027–2028 Will Be Absolute Peak
Both campuses hit full stride at the same time.
Combined on-site workforce at peak: 1,500–2,200+ workers simultaneously.
Monticello becomes one of the three or four largest construction zones in the entire Upper Midwest for two straight years.
TRADE-BY-TRADE DEMAND FORECAST (2026–2029)
- Crane operators & ironworkers → slammed 2027–2028
- High-voltage & low-voltage electricians → 24-month backlog
- Pipe fitters / plumbers (process piping) → highest paid trade on site
- HVAC / sheet metal / controls techs → continuous work
- Concrete finishers & carpenters → heavy early 2027
- Heavy equipment operators → needed from day one
- Fire-suppression & security system techs → late-phase goldmine
WANT TO GET ON THE SHORTLIST BEFORE THE RUSH HITS?
General contractors and staffing agencies are quietly building their databases right now.
Register your company or crew in under 30 seconds and get notified the minute new bid packages drop.
FULL 2026–2029 MILESTONE CALENDAR
- Q2 2026 → First shovels (Microsoft campus)
- Q4 2026 → Visible steel on Building 1
- Mid-2027 → Scannell groundbreaking
- All of 2027–2028 → Peak chaos (plan your crews now)
- Late 2028 → First data halls energized and handed over
- 2029–2031 → Remaining six buildings delivered in waves
LATEST OFFICIAL UPDATES (November 2025)
- November 18 → Monticello City Council unanimously approved rezoning for the Frattalone/Microsoft site
- November 12 → Xcel Energy filed interconnection queue documents for combined 400+ MW
- October 30 → Scannell closed on final parcels of the old nuclear plant land
This page is updated the same week new filings hit. Bookmark it or join the list below so you’re never playing catch-up.
Related Pages
Confirmed & Expected General Contractors + Subs
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