Development Agreement

City of Chandler — Regular Meeting (2024-06-27)

View PDF Meeting page

Extracted text (via pymupdf) 20750 characters
1 
 
 
 
WHEN RECORDED RETURN TO: 
 
City Clerk’s Office 
City of Chandler 
MS 606 
P. O. Box 4008 
Chandler, Arizona 85244-4008  
 
 
 
DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT 
 
This development agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into effective as of 
___________, 2024, (the “Effective Date”), by and between the City of Chandler, an Arizona 
municipal corporation (“City”), and CPUS West Frye Road, LP, a Delaware limited 
partnership (“Developer”).  City and Developer are each a “Party” to this Agreement and may 
be referred to collectively in this Agreement as “Parties.” 
 
1. 
Recitals.  As background to this Agreement, the Parties recite, acknowledge 
and confirm the following, each of which shall be a material term and provision of this 
Agreement: 
1.1 
Developer owns real property generally located on the northwest corner 
of Frye Road and Ellis Street, which property is legally described in Exhibit A attached hereto 
(the “Property”).  
1.2 
Within the Property is an existing data center structure and operation 
(“Existing Data Center”) that uses Water-Based Cooling Systems (defined in Section 9.1 
herein) to cool the electronic computer servers operating within the data center.  
1.3 
The Chandler City Council has, in conjunction with the approval of this 
Agreement, approved Developer’s request to rezone the Property from Light Industrial (I-1) to 
Planned Area Development (PAD) with a Mid-Rise Overlay (“Rezoning Approval”), which 
allows the continued operation of the Existing Data Center and the addition of a new 
approximately 243,000 square-foot, three-story data center structure, with associated electrical 
equipment and operation, within the Property, as conceptually shown on Exhibit B (“Data 
Center Expansion”). 
1.4 
Stipulations were added to the Rezoning Approval related to the use of 
Water-Based Cooling Systems and Mechanical Cooling Systems (defined in Section 9.2 
herein) on the Property (the “Cooling Stipulations”). With this Agreement, the Parties intend 
to reduce water consumption on site by ensuring the transition of all existing Water-Based 
Cooling Systems to Mechanical Cooling Systems that do not rely on evaporative cooling or

2 
otherwise consume water as part of the process of cooling electronic computer servers housed 
within the Property. 
1.5 
Section 35-2214 of the City Code of the City of Chandler (“City Code”) 
contains certain requirements related to the development of new data centers and Sections 
35-2214(3) through 35-2214(7) of the City Code contains requirements related to the 
measuring and containment of sound generated by those data centers (“Data Center Sound 
Requirements”).  
1.6 
The Parties desire to execute this Agreement following approval of the 
Rezoning Request by the Chandler City Council to provide another enforcement mechanism 
for the Cooling Stipulations and the Data Center Sound Requirements, to agree on the 
application of an element of the Data Center Sound Requirements as it relates to the Property, 
and to govern the replacement of the Water-Based Cooling Systems currently operating within 
the Existing Data Center.      
1.7 
City and Developer are entering into this Agreement under 
A.R.S. § 9-500.05 to facilitate development within the City of Chandler.  
1.8 
City, by Resolution No. _______, adopted on __________, has 
authorized the execution and performance of this Agreement and has otherwise taken all action 
required by law to enter into this Agreement and make it binding upon City. 
2. 
Performance Obligations.  City and Developer agree as follows: 
2.1 
The Data Center Expansion may not incorporate or use any Water-
Based Cooling Systems and no Water-Based Cooling Systems may be added to the operation 
of the Existing Data Center. Moreover, each existing Water-Based Cooling Systems within the 
Existing Data Center may only be replaced with Mechanical Cooling Systems that do not rely 
on evaporative cooling. In addition to the foregoing, all Water-Based Cooling Systems 
operating at the Existing Data Center must be removed or replaced with Mechanical Cooling 
Systems before the City will issue a certificate of occupancy for the Data Center Expansion. 
Developer understands that time is of the essence for removal of the Water-Based Cooling 
Systems on the Property pursuant to this Agreement. The City will not issue a temporary 
certificate of occupancy for the Data Center Expansion if the Water-Based Cooling Systems 
have not been fully removed, regardless of circumstances that may arise that are outside the 
control of Developer. Upon issuance of the certificate of occupancy for the Data Center 
Expansion and during the remaining Term of this Agreement, Developer may not use any 
Water-Based Cooling Systems within the Property.   
2.2 
Upon Developer’s request for a certificate of occupancy for the 
Data Center Expansion, and thereafter during the remainder of the duration of this Agreement, 
Developer will allow City reasonable access to inspect the Property to verify that there are no 
Water-Based Cooling Systems in operation. City will follow reasonable security protocols 
during such access visits and will provide Developer with reasonable advanced notice of the 
date and time of such access visits.

3 
2.3 
A violation of the City’s Data Center Sound Requirements will be 
deemed a violation of this Agreement. 
2.4 
Section 35-2214(4) of the City Code (“Baseline Study Section”) 
details requirements for a property owner proposing to build a data center related to studying 
and documenting ambient sound levels in the area surrounding the proposed site of the new 
data center, and the Parties acknowledge Developer has complied with this Baseline Study 
Section. Given the potential for future changes in the immediate area that may affect ambient 
sound volumes, Developer shall have the right in the future, but not the obligation, to again 
study and document the baseline ambient sound levels in the area surrounding the Property 
and to submit the results of this updated study to the City (“Updated Baseline Study”). The 
Updated Baseline Study must be performed: consistent with the requirements of the Baseline 
Study Section, except as it relates to any references to the timing of the study and the 
submission of the study, and prior to commencing operation of, and issuance of a certificate of 
occupancy for, the Data Center Expansion. Following submission to the City’s Zoning 
Administrator of an Updated Baseline Study, the City shall replace the baseline sound study 
previously submitted by the Developer with the Updated Baseline Study and shall use the 
Updated Baseline Study in applying the requirements of the Data Center Sound Requirements 
as if the Updated Baseline Study had been the sound study originally submitted in compliance 
with the Baseline Study Section. 
2.5 
In the sound studies required in subsequent years after the 
commencement of operation of the Data Center Expansion, per the Data Center Sound 
Requirements, if ambient sound levels have increased because of factors external to the 
Property, the City shall allow Developer to document these increases in the study and the City 
and the Developer shall work together in good faith to adjust the baseline sound levels to 
account for and discount such increases that are not attributable to the Developer when 
evaluating compliance of the Data Center Expansion under Section 35-2214(5) and Section 
35-2214(6) of the City Code.  
2.6 
This Agreement and its terms become effective if, and only if, the 
City approves Developer’s request to rezone the Property from Light Industrial (I-1) to Planned 
Area Development (PAD) with a Mid-Rise Overlay in a manner that allows the development 
and operation of the Data Center Expansion.   
3. 
Term.  The term of this Agreement shall begin on the Effective Date and shall 
continue  in full force and effect in perpetuity, unless terminated earlier by written agreement 
of the Parties.  Provided, however, that if the perpetual term of this Agreement is deemed to 
violate the “rule against perpetuities,” the Parties agree to amend the Agreement to the extent 
necessary to comply with applicable law while maintaining the original intent of the Parties to 
the fullest extent possible.  
4. 
Notices.  Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, or unless written notice 
of a change of address has been previously given pursuant hereto, all notices, demands or other 
communication given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly 
delivered upon (i) personal delivery, (ii) delivery by a recognized overnight courier

4 
(e.g., FedEx, UPS) for next business day delivery, or (iii) as of the fifth (5th) business day after 
mailing by United States certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows: 
To Developer: 
Ray Young 
Senior Director – Logistics Asset Management 
CBRE Investment Management | Americas 
601 S Figueroa St, 49th Floor 
Los Angeles, CA 90017 
 
With a copy to: 
Taylor C. Earl 
 
 
 
Earl & Curley, P.C.  
 
 
 
3101 N. Central Ave., Suite 1000 
 
 
 
Phoenix, AZ 85012  
 
To City: 
 
Development Services Director  
City of Chandler 
Mail Stop 405 
P.O. Box 4008 
Chandler, AZ 85244-4008 
 
 
With a copy to: 
Chandler City Attorney 
Mail Stop 602 
P.O. Box 4008 
Chandler, AZ 85244-4008 
Phone: (480) 782-4640 
 
5. 
Events of Default. Failure by either Party to duly perform, comply with, or 
observe any of the conditions, terms, or covenants of this Agreement beyond applicable notice 
and cure periods shall be a default hereunder, subject to the terms set forth in this 
Section 5.  The Party who so fails or delays must immediately commence to cure, correct, or 
remedy such failure or delay, and shall complete such cure, correction, or remedy with 
reasonable diligence, and during any period of curing shall not be in default. The objecting 
Party shall give written notice of default to the Party in default, specifying the default 
complained of by the objecting Party. If the default is not commenced to be cured within thirty 
(30) days after service of such notice of default and is not cured promptly in a continuous 
diligent manner in a reasonable period of time after commencement (which shall in no 
circumstance exceed one hundred twenty days (120) days), the objecting Party shall have the 
right to pursue all legal and equitable remedies available to it at law or under this Agreement.  
6. 
Assignment. Developer shall not assign any obligation in this Agreement (an 
“Assignment”) other than to a Permitted Assignee without City’s express written consent, 
which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed.  As used herein, a 
“Permitted Assignee” is defined as: (i) a subsidiary or affiliate of Developer, (ii) a party that 
results from a Change of Control of Developer, (iii) a party that acquires fee simple title to the 
Property, and/or (iv) a party providing financing with respect to the property (where, for the 
avoidance of doubt, Developer shall be permitted to collaterally assign this Agreement to such

5 
party).  The City’s consent shall not be required in connection with an Assignment to any 
Permitted Assignee.  In order to be effective, any such assignment must contain an express 
written agreement and assumption by the assignee agreeing to be liable for the assigning 
Party’s obligations contained herein. “Change of Control”  means (a) any transaction or series 
of related transactions as a result of which any person or group of persons within the meaning 
of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 becomes the beneficial owner, 
directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the outstanding common stock (measured by either 
voting power or economic interests) of Developer, (b) any sale or lease or exchange, transfer, 
license or disposition of a business, deposits or assets that constitute 50% or more of the 
consolidated assets, business, revenues, net income or assets of Developer or (c) a merger, 
consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization of Developer with or into a third party that 
results in the inability of the stockholders of Developer prior to such transaction to designate 
or elect a majority of the board of directors (or its equivalent) of the resulting entity or its parent 
company.  
7. 
Recordation. Upon execution of the Agreement by the City, the City will 
promptly cause this Agreement to be recorded in its entirety in the Official Records of 
Maricopa County, Arizona and shall thereafter promptly provide a recorded copy of this 
Agreement to Developer.  Promptly following the Expiration Date, if requested by either Party, 
the Parties will execute and record a commercially reasonable form of termination of this 
Agreement, which the requesting Party will cause to be recorded in the Official Records of 
Maricopa County, Arizona (the “Recorded Termination”).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, 
upon the Expiration Date, this Agreement shall automatically be null, void, and terminated 
without the need for further action by the Parties, it being acknowledged and agreed that the 
Recorded Termination is not a prerequisite to the termination of this Agreement.  
8. 
Additional Matters. 
8.1 
Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed 
under the laws of the State of Arizona.  This Agreement is subject to the provisions of 
A.R.S. § 38-511.  This Agreement shall be deemed made and entered into in Maricopa County, 
Arizona. 
8.2 
No Waiver.  The failure of any Party to exercise any right, power, or 
remedy given to it under this Agreement, or to insist upon strict compliance with it, shall not 
constitute a waiver of the terms and conditions of this Agreement with respect to any other or 
subsequent breach, nor a waiver by either Party of its rights at any time to require exact and 
strict compliance with all of the terms of this Agreement.  The rights or remedies under this 
Agreement are exclusive of any other rights or remedies which may be granted by law. 
8.3 
Entire Agreement, Amendment, and Execution.  This Agreement 
constitutes the entire Agreement between City and Developer with respect to its subject matter, 
and all agreements, oral or written, entered into prior to this Agreement are revoked and 
superseded by this Agreement.  This Agreement may not be changed, modified, or amended, 
except in writing, signed by all Parties, and recorded in the office of the Maricopa County 
Recorder and any attempt at oral modification of this Agreement shall be void and of no effect.  
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be

6 
deemed an original, and all of which, when taken together, shall constitute one and the same 
instrument. 
8.4 
No Partnership.  It is not intended by this Agreement to, and nothing 
contained in this Agreement shall, create any partnership, joint venture or other arrangement 
between Developer and City.  No term or provision of this Agreement is intended to, or shall, 
be for the benefit of any person, firm, organization, or corporation not a party hereto, and no 
such other person, firm, organization, or corporation shall have any right or cause of action 
hereunder. 
8.5 
 Authorization.  Each of the Parties hereto represents and warrants to 
the other that the individual executing this Agreement on behalf of their respective Party is 
authorized and empowered to bind the Party on whose behalf such individual is signing, and 
that this Agreement shall be binding upon such Party.   
8.6 
Estoppel.  Each Party, upon the request of another Party, shall issue to 
such requesting Party (and, as applicable, such Party’s prospective or current purchaser, equity 
investor, mortgagee or other parties designated by such requesting Party), within twenty (20) 
business days of receipt of any such request, an estoppel certificate (each, an “Estoppel 
Certificate”), made to the knowledge of the responding Party, stating: (i) whether any known 
default exists under this Agreement, and if there are known defaults, specifying the nature 
thereof; (ii) that this Agreement has not been modified or amended in any way, except as 
disclosed in such Estoppel Certificate; (iii) that this Agreement as of that date is in full force 
and effect; (iv) the status of the Annual Report(s); (v) whether an Updated Baseline Study was 
submitted to the City; and (vi) such other certifications as may be reasonably requested by such 
requesting Party, subject to reasonable requests for edits or other clarification by the 
responding Party. 
8.7 
Mortgagee Protections.  Developer shall have the right, from time to 
time, to assign, collaterally or otherwise, its interest in this Agreement and to encumber all or 
any portion of its interest in the Property by deed of trust, mortgage or other security instrument 
(each, a “Developer Mortgage”) to a third-party lender (each, a “Mortgagee”), without the 
necessity of obtaining the consent of the City.  So long as any Developer Mortgage held by a 
Mortgagee remains a lien on all or part of Developer’s interest in this Agreement and/or the 
Property, such Mortgagee shall be afforded the following rights: (i) the right to simultaneously 
receive any notices of any default by Developer hereunder (provided that Developer and/or 
Mortgagee first provide the City with written notice as to the identity of and notice address for 
Mortgagee), (ii) the right to cure any default of Developer (where Mortgagee shall have ten 
(10) days to cure any monetary default and an additional thirty (30) days to cure any 
non-monetary default, in additional to the time period afforded to Developer to cure); (iii) in 
the event of any termination of this Agreement, the right to enter into a new agreement with 
the City on materially the same terms; and (iv) the right to assume Developer’s interest under 
this Agreement in the event of a foreclosure by Mortgagee of the Developer Mortgage. 
9.  
Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the terms below are defined as 
follows:

7 
 
9.1  
“Water-Based Cooling Systems” are open-circuit cooling towers that 
reject heat from the refrigeration process to the atmosphere by means of water evaporation or 
other water-based methods that use and discard water as part of the process of transferring 
heat away from the electronic computer servers that are generating heat on the Property.  
 
9.2 
“Mechanical Cooling Systems” are those cooling systems that transfer 
heat from the data center to achieve a cooler air temperature inside the data center and which 
do not utilize the evaporation of water in the cooling process or other water-based methods 
that use and discard water as part of the process.   
 
 
 
 
 
[SIGNATURES FOLLOW ON NEXT PAGES]

8 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement through their 
representatives duly authorized to execute this Agreement and to bind their respective entities 
to the terms and obligations of same. 
 
ATTEST: 
CITY OF CHANDLER, an Arizona 
municipal corporation 
 
 
 
_________________________________ 
 
By______________________________ 
City Clerk 
 
 
 
 
 
     Mayor Kevin Hartke 
 
 
APPROVED AS TO FORM: 
 
 
 
_________________________________ 
City Attorney 
 
 
STATE OF ARIZONA 
) 
 
 
 
 
) ss. 
County of Maricopa  
) 
 
 
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this ____ day of _________, 
2024, by Kevin Hartke, Mayor of the City of Chandler, an Arizona municipal corporation. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
_________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notary Public 
 
[SEAL]

9 
CPUS West Frye Road, LP, a Delaware 
limited partnership 
 
 
By: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Name:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Title:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STATE OF ______________) 
 
 
 
 
) ss. 
County of _______________) 
 
 
The foregoing Development Agreement was acknowledged before me this ___ day of 
__________, 2024, by ____________________, as _________________________________ 
of CPUS West Frye Road, LP, a Delaware limited partnership.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
_________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notary Public

10

PROPOSED
EQUIPMENT YARD
PROPOSED 
EXPANSION TO EXISTING 
SUBSTATION 
(Diagonal hatch and new 
screen wall boundaries 
shown dashed)
Stories: 3
Bldg Height: 60'-0"
Rooftop Screen: 
+30'-0" (for acoustics)
Area:  
+/- 241,000 SF
Stories: 1
Area:  
+/- 191,000 SF
EXISTING
DATA 
CENTER
PROPOSED
DATA CENTER
EXPANSION
PROPOSED
EQUIPMENT YARD
5/30/2024
EXISTING 
EQUIPMENT
YARD
EXISTING 
ELECTRICAL
BUILDING 
& YARD
3
This Exhibit B is for illustrative purposes only and not intended to 
indicate City’s formal approval of Developer’s site plan
EXHIBIT B