San Diego developer explores massive AI data center on Navy land

A development team led by billionaire Doug Manchester has explored plans for a 400-megawatt artificial intelligence data center on federal land in San Diego. The proposal involves the 70-acre Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) campus located near the Old Town Transit Center.

The potential project has raised concerns regarding the fulfillment of previous promises to develop thousands of homes, parks, and businesses on the site. Additionally, the scale of the facility could consume as much electricity as hundreds of thousands of homes, prompting questions about infrastructure demands and potential impacts on public utility costs.

Manchester Financial Group has stated that thousands of homes remain part of its development plans and maintains that no formal negotiations or agreements for a data center are currently underway.