A developer is potentially looking to build a data center on a 45-acre old chemical plant site in Modesto, California, causing public outcry from local residents.

Full details around the size, capacity, and operator have not been confirmed.

NorthPoint Development is rumored to be the developer behind the project, following Modesto City Council member Chris Ricci’s social media post that the real estate company has been lobbying the council for a data center.

No formal applications have been submitted so far.

The 45-acre disused FMC chemical plant site at 1200 Graphics Drive has been empty since 1984. NorthPoint has been linked to the site, having filed an application to split it into two land parcels with the Modesto Planning Commission.

Modesto community has responded to the rumors that a data center may be built in its municipality with concern and protest. There has been significant opposition voiced on social media and brought to the council in city hall meetings, with some residents and council members pushing for a data center moratorium.

In response, Modesto City Council has referenced current planning regulations that prohibit data center facilities as a land use under the municipal code.

However, the community and some council members have voiced concern that these could be subject to change in the event of applications for data center development.

Following the closure of the chemical plant, unsafe levels of barium, strontium, arsenic, and fuel contaminated the ground. The cleanup operation was completed in 2007, but the 45 acres remain empty.

NorthPoint's application to split the 45-acre site into two parcels was accepted and deemed complete in December 2025. The real estate development company has reportedly been lobbying the municipal council to build a data center, with speculation that the chemical site was the company’s chosen location for a data center in Modesto.

Public opposition to a data center has centered around community concerns about water and energy usage, among other issues.

When questioned about the potential for a data center moratorium, Mayor Sue Zwahlen did not comment, while other council members said they were in favor of enforcing one.

Current municipal building codes were mentioned in discussions, which do not allow data centers as a land use. But zoning and building codes could change if an application is filed.

In reference to debates around a potential data center in the city, Modesto Irrigation District (MID) utilities company said if more infrastructure is needed to support a data center, the developer or operator would likely have to pay. The municipality also requires a study of the demands and impacts of a data center on the city to be carried out before development of a facility.

There is mounting concern about the impacts of data center facilities on the surrounding environment and communities across the US, with moratoriums emerging in many areas, including multiple municipalities in California. In Modesto discussions, the nearby City of Patterson has been referenced due to its recent introduction of a 45-day data center moratorium.

Kansas-based real estate developer NorthPoint was founded in 2012. It claims to have 37 powered land sites totaling 4.8GW of potential capacity across 17 states, with two planned data centers, according to Data Center Map.

NorthPoint’s planned data centers are large-scale, including one 15-building, 1,280-acre campus and another 2 million sq ft development.