Quality Technology Services (QTS), a Kansas-based real estate investment fund announced plans to build a new datacenter campus in New Albany.
The $1.5 billion megaproject adds to a growing list of datacenter megaprojects in Central Ohio. A megaproject is any private-funded construction project that costs $1 billion or more.
According to a Bizjournal report, QTS purchased 93 acres of land in late October for $11.2 million. The land is split into two plots on Beech Road.
The first property is 56 acres, where two datacenters will be built totaling 885,600 square feet. The second plot is 37 acres, and the two other datacenters will total roughly 612,600 square feet.
Dorsey Hager, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer says the project will create work for members of Sheet Metal Workers 24 and other C/COBCTC affiliated locals.
“QTS New Albany One and Two will offer significant capacity to support ongoing growth in the well-connected and energy-rich Columbus region,” a QTS representative told WSYX-TV. “They are designed to meet rapid, large-scale developments in Columbus.”
The Facebook datacenter, also located on Beech Road, will be the closest datacenter to QTS. Both campuses will also be close to the $100 billion Intel project also located in New Albany.
Amazon, Google and DTS are all datacenters that are either operable or still under construction in various parts of Central Ohio.
Hager is excited about the new datacenter project as it welcomes more work opportunities for affiliated locals of the C/COBCTC, like Sheet Metal Workers 24.
“The announcement of new datacenters in Licking County adds to our portfolio of industrial technology factories and continues to help Central Ohio shake off the rustbelt status and cements our standing as the Silicon Heartland,” Hager said.
Hager added that eventually all of the trades will be working on site, but certain trades like sheet metal workers will be in high demand.
New Albany Economic Development Manager Sara Zeigler is excited to welcome QTS to Central Ohio and says QTS has a great track record of investing in the communities where they have built facilities.
Construction is expected to begin in March 2024, with a completion date set for sometime around the end of 2025.