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Dauphin Highlands Data Center Site (Provident Realty)

Swatara Township and Steelton Borough, Dauphin County

A two-campus data center development in Swatara Township and Steelton, Dauphin County, that PennLive reports Corscale Data Centers is building: Highlands West on the former Dauphin Highlands public golf course, which the county's general authority sold for $45.6 million, and Highlands East on about 157 acres behind the WITF building, with about 1.97 million square feet of buildings in all.

ContestedTBD/UndisclosedGreenfieldS Central
At a glance

The project by the numbers

StatusUnder Review
Building area1,973,062 sq ft
Site228 acres
Permanent jobs, as claimed200
First announced2025-08-20
Target onlineNot announced

Former Dauphin Highlands golf course sold for data centers; Swatara Township is reviewing two campus plans

The number that mattersSwatara Township's community benefits agreements total $120.3 million, which the township says appears to exceed the $110 million Frederick, Maryland deal described as the largest data center community benefits agreement in the country.
Developer
Harrisburg I, LLC, formed by Provident Realty of Dallas, bought the golf course. The final plans now before Swatara Township were filed by US Highlands West Purchaser LLC, which the plan lists as owner and developer of the golf course land, and US Highlands East Purchaser LLC, which lists its address in care of Affinius Capital LLC. PennLive reported that Corscale Data Centers, a Houston developer whose investment partner is Affinius Capital, is building both campuses, and Corscale representatives presented the Highlands East plan with attorney Esch McCombie. Bohler prepared the site plans. Township records don't spell out how Harrisburg I, LLC relates to the US Highlands companies.
Tenant
No tenant has been named. A resident asked at the September 8, 2026 Planning Commission meeting who the tenant would be, and the minutes don't record an answer. PennLive's October 2026 coverage didn't name one either.
Current stage
The land sale closed June 15, 2026 and the golf course's last day of play was October 12, 2026. Zoning is in place, and on October 7, 2026 Swatara's commissioners approved community benefits agreements worth $120.3 million by a 4-1 vote. Final subdivision and land development plans for Highlands West (three buildings on the golf course) and Highlands East (two buildings behind the WITF building) are under Planning Commission review and were posted on the township website on October 15. GOLF.com reported that construction isn't scheduled to begin until 2027, and the course's longtime instructor told it that test drilling had already started.
Decision body
Swatara Township Board of Commissioners, on Planning Commission recommendations; Steelton Borough for any part of the site in the borough. The Dauphin County General Authority approved the land sale.
Top issues
Loss of a public golf course, setbacks along Highland Street, water use, backup generator emissions, noise, the land's past chemical use, stormwater from about 4 million square feet of new pavement and roofs on the golf course, whether residents had a real say in the benefits agreements, and how much the township gets in taxes and benefits.
Key opponents
No organized opposition group has been reported. Residents have spoken against or questioned the project at nearly every Swatara meeting since spring 2026, asking for bigger setbacks, lower heights, cleaner backup fuel, testing of water, air and noise, and a decommissioning plan, and several asked commissioners on October 7 to delay the benefits vote because the agreement hadn't been shared in advance. Commissioner Ben Douglas moved to postpone that vote and then voted against the agreement. Commissioners Tuckey and Zubeck voted against the 2025 rezoning.
Key supporters
Swatara Commissioner Connolly, Vice President Steele and President Ellis voted for the 2025 data center zoning and spoke for the 2026 benefits agreements, which passed 4-1. Connolly called the agreements a chance to reset the township's finances, Steele said an imperfect deal beats nothing, and Ellis said postponing the vote would risk losing the offer. Solicitor Scott Wyland, who negotiated the agreements, called $120.3 million a breathtakingly large number. General Authority Chairperson Barbara Zemlock said the sale lets the authority pay off the golf course's $13 million debt.

How we got here

The Dauphin County General Authority, which bought the land from Bethlehem Steel in 1993, issued an RFP on February 19, 2025 after unsolicited offers to develop data centers there, and received six responses by May 15. Swatara adopted data center zoning and rezoned parcels to Mixed Use on April 2, 2025 by a 3-2 vote. On August 20, 2025 the authority approved a $45.6 million purchase agreement with Provident Realty's Harrisburg I, LLC, about 10 times the land's recorded value, with a December 31, 2027 closing date. A May 20, 2026 amendment allowed early closing, and settlement took place June 15, 2026. Swatara tightened its data center rules on August 5, 2026. Corscale presented the Highlands East plan on September 8, 2026, and Bohler dated the Highlands West plan September 16. The developers delivered benefits agreement drafts on October 3 and 5, commissioners approved $120.3 million in community benefits by a 4-1 vote on October 7, the golf course's last day of play was October 12, the Highlands West plan went to the Planning Commission on October 13, and the township posted both plans online on October 15, 2026.

What is at stake

Impacts raised and open questions

Air quality

Medium

Highlands East would have 12 backup generators in an equipment yard between the buildings, used only during outages to run offices and the network, according to the developer's presentation.

Swatara Township

Visual and light

Medium

Highlands East buildings would be about 50 feet tall, set back more than the required 210 feet from Highland Street, with a 70-foot planted buffer, about 1,700 new trees and optional sound walls around cooling equipment, the developer told the Planning Commission.

Swatara Township

Energy costs and the grid

Medium

Highlands East includes a PPL switching station and a private substation; the developer says it will pay for any grid upgrades needed to connect the site.

Swatara Township

Property values

Medium

Developer representatives told the Planning Commission on September 8, 2026 that they were willing to talk with people who live along Highland Street next to the Highlands East site about buying their properties.

Swatara Township

Water

Medium

The Highlands West plan's zoning table shows about 4.07 million square feet of impervious surface, about 45 percent of the 208.6 acres of the golf course lot that sit in Swatara Township, where grass fairways are now.

Swatara Township

Visual and light

Medium

Highlands West's three buildings would cover about 1.23 million square feet of the former golf course at a height of about 35 feet, set back about 275 feet where the township requires 210 feet, according to the plan's zoning table.

Swatara Township

Water

Low

Corscale's representative said the Highlands East site was scoped for 250,000 gallons a day but should use about 7,000 gallons a day, mostly for restrooms, because it uses closed-loop cooling.

Swatara Township

Jobs and tax claims

Low

The developer estimated about 200 permanent jobs across the two Swatara projects once construction is done, and suggested about $3 million to $3.5 million a year in township taxes, which it described as a rough estimate.

Swatara Township
Timeline

How it has unfolded

  • 2025-02-12Commissioners unanimously authorize advertising a zoning amendment adding data center regulations. Swatara Township
  • 2025-02-19The authority issues an RFP for the 228-acre Dauphin Highlands golf course after unsolicited purchase offers. Dauphin County General Authority
  • 2025-03-04Planning Commission reviews the data center text amendment and a map change to Mixed Use; the solicitor notes the only Mixed Use property sits next to a substation. Swatara Township
  • 2025-04-02Commissioners adopt Ordinance O-2025-01, adding data center rules and rezoning parcels from agricultural and single-family residential to Mixed Use, by a 3-2 vote. Swatara Township
  • 2025-05-21The authority reports six responses to its golf course RFP. Dauphin County General Authority
  • 2025-08-20The Dauphin County General Authority approves a $45.6 million purchase agreement with Harrisburg I, LLC (Provident Realty); the sale closed June 15, 2026 Dauphin County General Authority
  • 2026-05-20The authority approves an amendment letting Harrisburg I, LLC close before the December 31, 2027 contract date. Dauphin County General Authority
  • 2026-06-15Final settlement on the $45.6 million sale of the golf course takes place. Dauphin County General Authority
  • 2026-08-05After a public hearing, commissioners adopt Ordinance O-2026-5, an updated subdivision and zoning amendment that includes data center provisions. Swatara Township
  • 2026-08-11Residents asked the Planning Commission about water, air and noise testing and a decommissioning plan, and were told no data center plans had been filed yet. Swatara Township
  • 2026-09-08Corscale representatives present the Highlands East final plan: two buildings of 372,131 square feet each (about 744,000 square feet) on about 157 acres, with a PPL switching station. Swatara Township
  • 2026-09-16Bohler dates the Highlands West final plan: three data center buildings of 409,600 square feet each on a consolidated 228-acre lot at the golf course, 650 S. Harrisburg Street. Swatara Township
  • 2026-10-04Local21 reports Corscale will hold a public information session on Highlands West and Highlands East from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2026 at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel. Local21 (WHP/CBS 21)
  • 2026-10-05The developers deliver community benefits agreement drafts to the township: $36.15 million for Highlands East on October 3 and $84.15 million for Highlands West on October 5. Swatara Township
  • 2026-10-07Commissioners approve community benefits agreements totaling $120.3 million for Highlands West and Highlands East. Swatara Township
  • 2026-10-07Commissioners reject a motion to postpone, then approve the community benefits agreements 4-1, with Commissioner Ben Douglas voting no. GovTech / PennLive
  • 2026-10-12Last day of play at Dauphin Highlands Golf Course. Dauphin County General Authority
  • 2026-10-13The Highlands West final subdivision and land development plan comes before the Planning Commission. Swatara Township
  • 2026-10-15The township posts the Highlands East and Highlands West land development plans on its website. Swatara Township
News

Coverage of this project

Sources

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In Pennsylvania, the local zoning ordinance sets the route. A conditional use is decided by the elected governing body (supervisors, commissioners or council). A special exception or variance, and an appeal of a zoning officer’s decision, go to the Zoning Hearing Board. Each is a public hearing on a record: affected neighbors can ask for party status, cross-examine witnesses, and appeal. Municipalities can also adopt data center ordinances with enforceable standards.

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