The final phase of engineering to support the electrical systems for a 315,000-sq-ft data center facility on Chicago's Near South Side have been completed.

Commonwealth Edison and the design-build team have finalized the engineering for the data center's power needs, moving the project forward after over thirty months of robust analyses and verifications, said James R. McHugh, JRM Technology's principal.

To meet data storage energy demands, 111 E. Cermak will be powered by potentially 40 megawatts of electricity. Two separate ComEd substations from two separate transmission grids will service 111 E. Cermak.  Initially, 16 megawatts plus emergency power could be made available to the data center within six months of breaking ground on the project. An additional 16 megawatts will be on line upon completion of core and shell.

"Abundant, redundant power sourcing represents a key requirement for data centers, and we're pleased that ComEd and our engineers have not only met but exceeded clients' energy needs," McHugh said.

Located at 111 East Cermak Road, the facility will be the first structure in downtown Chicago designed and built specifically as a data center, McHugh said.  

James McHugh Construction Co. is the design-build contractor, with ESD Inc., as lead architect/engineer, Archideas the consulting architect, and CS Associates Inc. as structural engineer.

The building will be located at the southeast corner of Cermak Road and Indiana Avenue, two blocks from 350 East Cermak – Lakeside Technology Center, the 1.1 million-sq-ft data center site in the former RR Donnelly printing plant. The new center's location helps ensure a large amount of fiber providers with high-volume and low-latency fiber optic lines, Mr. McHugh said.

With Lakeside Technology Center 100 percent leased, firms that need super-fast fiber optic transmission speeds or dark fiber connectivity are seeking data center space close by. JRM Technology is actively negotiating with tenants for the new site, McHugh added.

JRM Technology plans to seek Gold level LEED Certification. Sustainable features planned for the building include a green roof and fresh air cooling, with many other green aspects to be finalized during the design phase. Tenant-friendly features will include redundant power sourcing and stringent security.

The six-story building will include 140,000 sq ft of raised floor area. Preliminary plans call for a reinforced concrete structure with 18-ft ceiling heights, heavy floor loading, space for full generator backups, and heavy-duty, high-efficiency cooling systems.