Project River (data center and power plants on Lower River Road)
Also called: Project River, PUD 77
A local construction company wants to build an $11.3 billion campus on about 850 acres along the Hiwassee River west of Cleveland. It would likely include a data center powered by its own wood-burning and gas power plants. The land would have to be annexed into Cleveland first. Many residents have spoken against it at public meetings.
Where things stand: Developer asked the City of Cleveland to annex and zone the land. The city released draft rules (PUD 77) on Sept. 18, 2026; no vote before October.
🕒 Latest update (Sept 18, 2026): The City of Cleveland released a draft zoning plan (PUD 77) with a 500-foot setback and a 60-decibel noise limit for the data center.
What we know
- 📍 WhereAbout 850 acres west of I-75 near Exit 33, north of Old Lower River Road, along the Hiwassee River, Unincorporated Bradley County, Bradley County
- 🏢 CompanyWright Brothers Construction
- 🌳 Size850 acres
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromOn-site power: a 500-megawatt wood-burning (biomass) plant and two gas plants (1,000 megawatts), plus 360 megawatts of backup from TVA.
- ❄️ Coolingclosed-loop
- 💵 Cost$11.3 billion
- 👷 Jobs promised900
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- When will Cleveland City Council vote on annexing and zoning the Project River land? 🙋 I'll find out
- Which company would use the data center? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much air pollution would the biomass and gas plants make? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Aug 26, 2026Wright Brothers Construction pitched the $11.3 billion Project River with a data center, a biomass plant and two gas plants.
- Sept 18, 2026The City of Cleveland released a draft zoning plan (PUD 77) with a 500-foot setback and a 60-decibel noise limit for the data center.
Local votes and rules
🗺️ Zoning change
The City of Cleveland released draft rules (PUD 77) for the $11.3 billion Project River data center the developer wants annexed into the city. Draft rules: 500-foot setback, 60-decibel noise limit at the property line with monitoring, closed-loop cooling, 75% of power and 90% of process water made on site, no direct water hookup to the Hiwassee River, and yearly reports. The developer says it will accept them. No vote before October 2026.
📜 Data center rules
Bradley County Commission unanimously passed zoning rules for data centers, crypto mines and AI centers. They cannot be built within 3,000 feet of farms, homes, schools or churches, and need planning commission approval.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- $11.3B data center pitch in Bradley County comes amid growing local skepticism · NewsChannel 9 · Aug 26, 2026
- Cleveland lays out proposed guardrails for $11.3B Project River data center · NewsChannel 9 · Sept 2026
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