Manchester Financial Proposes San Diego Data Center
The proposed 400MW facility at the Old Town Campus would require power usage equivalent to 320,000 homes.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Data Centers
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Manchester Financial Group has unveiled a proposal for a 400MW data center located on the 70.3-acre Old Town Campus in San Diego. The project involves a potential 99-year lease for the federal property currently owned by the US Navy.
Why it matters
The developer aims to provide modern facilities for NAVWAR in exchange for development rights on the site. If realized, the massive energy demands of the facility would significantly impact local infrastructure capacity.
The proposed 400MW facility would be built in 100MW phases, with estimated daily electricity costs exceeding $1 million. The site would consume power at a rate equivalent to the needs of 320,000 homes.
The players
Manchester Financial Group
This is a development firm leading the proposal for the construction of the data center at the Old Town Campus.
U.S. Navy
The military branch serves as the current landowner for the Old Town Campus and is conducting an environmental review.
NAVWAR
The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command is the entity that would receive modern facilities as part of the proposed development deal.
San Diego Community Power
This is a local energy provider that performed the electricity cost estimate for the potential project.
The details
Manchester Financial Group plans to add capacity every six months through multiple buildings on the 70.3-acre property. The U.S. Navy is currently overseeing an environmental review of the proposed redevelopment, with a revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement expected in 2027.
Timeline
October 2025: San Diego Community Power provided an electricity cost estimate.
2027: The Navy expects to publish a revised draft environmental impact statement.
The Tech Race
This project represents a shift toward massive, hyper-scale infrastructure integration on federal land previously reserved for naval operations. The scale of the proposal underscores how large-scale data center development is rapidly competing for significant real estate and utility capacity.
Local residents and businesses may face increased strain on the regional power grid if the massive 400MW facility is approved. The project remains in an exploratory phase, and its long-term viability depends on future environmental approvals and securing tenants.
The takeaway
The project underscores the extreme energy demands associated with the expansion of high-capacity data centers in urban areas. Residents should monitor the upcoming Navy environmental reviews to track how the site's development might affect local utility infrastructure.
Further reading
For more information on regional industry trends, visit Data Centers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Constructionreview.
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