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Data center campus · Northport Industrial Park area, Lookout Drive, outside North Mankato city limits, Nicollet County, Minnesota

North Mankato Northport technology park (data center proposal)

Withdrawn as of Nov. 17, 2025

North Mankato's 679-acre Northport AUAR modeled a possible hyperscale campus that drew an environmental lawsuit in 2025; the developer, Oppidan, dropped out before applying, and the suit was later dismissed. Also known as: North Mankato Industrial.

Cite← Minnesota data centers
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PowerNot statedNot reported in the records found
Floor area4e+06sq ft
Site679acres

Who is behind it

ProjectNorth Mankato Northport technology park (data center proposal)Also: North Mankato Industrial
Developer and teamOppidan
End userNot found in the recordsNot yet named in any record or credited report we have found.

The record, newest first

  1. North Mankato approved a moratorium of up to 12 months on new data centers. (Southern Minnesota News, Sept. 22, 2026)

  2. MCEA reported that it had voluntarily dismissed the case (Nicollet County No. 52-CV-25-568) without prejudice, with no ruling on the merits. (Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, May 15, 2026)

  3. The city's community development director said Oppidan was no longer interested, no application had been filed, and the city does not want a project of the size studied. (Mankato Free Press, Nov. 17, 2025; DatacenterDynamics, Dec. 11, 2025)

  4. The city asked the court to dismiss the suit with prejudice, arguing there was no data center proposal to review and that the AUAR met state rules. (Mankato Free Press, Sept. 9, 2025)

  5. MCEA sued North Mankato in district court. The suit argues the AUAR described the project as a generic technology park and understated its energy and water use. (CNHI (reprinting The Free Press, Mankato), Aug. 6, 2025; Mankato Free Press, Nov. 17, 2025; Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, May 15, 2026)

Conflicts and open questions

  • The AUAR area lies outside current city limits. The county is set as Nicollet; MCEA's case was in Nicollet County District Court.
  • The dismissal date was not given; MCEA's update is dated May 15, 2026.
  • This is not one of the Dakota County Oppidan proposals.

The full record

Status note
City staff said Oppidan ended talks without filing an application, and the city has no active proposal. MCEA later dropped its 2025 lawsuit over the AUAR without prejudice.
Power note
MCEA's lawsuit, as reported by CNHI, describes a possible 250-500 MW campus of about 4 million sq ft. The AUAR estimated about 80,800 MWh a year; the suit cites internal records suggesting up to 3.7 million MWh. No developer stated a size.
Evidence
News reports; primary records not yet obtained
Size class
50 MW or more (tracker scope)
Map position approximate, from the reported address or area. Updated Oct. 17, 2026.