Marana residents voting in the July primary may do more than select their next mayor and four council members — they could shift their town’s approach to two of the country’s most controversial issues. The construction of a large-scale data center and the opening of an immigration detention center have brought passionate disagreement in this community of roughly 60,000.

Data Center Controversy

Over the next 10 years, Beale Infrastructure is planning to develop a massive data center on 600 acres in northern Marana, near north Luckett and west Hardin roads. The site, according to Beale’s public relations department, will generate $407 million in state, county and local tax revenue over the next 10 years.

Council candidates Susan Ritz and Jackie McGuire believe the ordinance is not robust enough given the size of the project, which Ritz said is “10 times the size of any existing data center in Phoenix.” Ritz said, “the ordinance should require a closure bond to cover the cleanup costs for the environmental impact of a building containing tons of aluminum wire, lithium batteries, and spent cooling chemicals upon its closure.”

Immigration Detention Center

About a month after the Marana Town Council approved rezoning for the data center, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced its intention to open an immigration detention center in Marana. The site is currently a closed private prison owned by Management and Training Corporation, or MTC, at 12610 W. Silverbell Road.

No final agreement has been signed yet, said Nissa Arnita, a spokesperson with MTC. “Because there is no contract in place, we are not in a position to share additional details,” she said. “If an agreement is finalized, our focus will remain on restoring good local jobs, supporting the Marana economy, and operating the facility with high standards of safety, professionalism, and dignity.”

Original reporting: Arizona Luminaria — read the source article.