A potential data center project in Red Cedar, Dunn County, Wisconsin, could see $1.6 billion in investment.

The development project - proposed by Balloonist LLC in July - has now revealed that as much as $1.6bn could be invested should a data center be built, reports Volume One.

The Menomonie City Council previously approved the annexation and rezoning of 324 acres located along County Highway B between 650th Ave. and 690th Ave., enabling a data center to be developed on the site.

At the time, however, Balloonist - which Volume One says represents an unnamed tech company - said it did not yet have official plans for the site, and wouldn't seek to start construction until at least 2027.

On August 24, members of the "Stop the Menomonie Data Center" group and others met to discuss the project, following which the City published an FAQ related to the project as well as a data center concept site plan.

Based on that plan, up to 15 "buildings/equipment yards" could be developed. The number of data centers planned for development has not been stated.

The FAQ document states that the data center(s) could use approximately 75,000 gallons of water per day, and once completed, bring in 50-75 full-time jobs.

The council has yet to vote on an actual project proposal, and thus far, has only approved the land changes.

Volume One reports that Balloonist LLC was established in January 2024, one month before Menomonie City Administrator Eric Atkinson signed a single-party NDA related to the project. The company lists two addresses, one which links to Corporation Service Company and a second in Delaware. Both of those addresses have been used in relation to data center projects for Meta.

Council member Abigail Pickard previously stated that Balloonist LLC's end user was "one of the top tech giants."

Menomonie is located in Dunn County in northwest Wisconsin. Red Cedar itself is a small settlement, with much of the land in the area undeveloped.

Wisconsin as a whole is not a huge data center market, though existing facilities are located around Milwaukee or Madison in the south of the state. The likes of Microsoft, Meta, and Vantage are developing in the Badger State. Ark (formerly Involta), TierPoint, 1547 CSR, and Expedient are also present. WIN Technology operates a data center near Menomonie in Altoona.

In July 2025, QTS revealed plans for a 15-building data center campus in Madison, Wisconsin.