Server Farm Realty LLC (SFR) has unveiled the company’s newest, state-of-the-art data center facility in Chicago. The exclusive, invitation only ribbon cutting ceremony featured a number of distinguished guests including Peerless Network’s CEO, John Barnicle and Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
840 South Canal is a 450,000-sq-ft facility that housed the former General Electric Co. (GE) factory and served as Northern Trust’s data center and operations hub. Server Farm Realty has invested over $220M to redevelop and transform the building into a Tier III data center. The enhanced facility now features a concurrently maintainable design with 100% availability and delivers approximately 20 MW of power to over 138,000 SF of raised floor data center suites. The eight-story building also maintains 4 MW of critical power over five data center floors and features a power usage effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.4 or better — one of the lowest in Chicago.
“Server Farm Realty’s selection of Chicago reiterates the strength of what our city offers businesses,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Our workforce, coupled with accessible real estate, an abundance of power all centrally located with extensive communications infrastructure leading in all directions, there is no doubt that the city is well positioned to continue to attract businesses, create more job opportunities and to grow economically today and in the future.”
“Chicago is the ideal location for secure, low latency network infrastructure. Aggressive power rates with a low carbon fuel mix and efficient, free cooling conditions throughout much of the year align well with what today’s technology and media companies, healthcare organizations, financial services firms, and many others are looking for in a data center,” says Avner Papouchado, CEO of Server Farm Realty. “We welcome Peerless into our expanding portfolio, now spanning seven facilities with more than 1.3M sq ft of hardened, state-of-the-art and scalable data center space.”
“SFR’s newest facility is located in one of the world’s most strategic markets for data center development and connectivity,” adds John Barnicle, president and CEO of Peerless Network. “As the first tenant in the building, we have already enjoyed highly personable service, customized to meet our business’ unique needs while implemented in a timely and extremely professional manner.”
In addition to being a global data center hub and interconnection point for virtually every major fiber network, Chicago boasts some of the lowest total cost of occupancy (TCO) for data center users, as well as a vast array of real estate options. The city’s deregulated power market offers cost-effective power rates from a wide variety of vendors, while its mild climate yields substantial energy savings for approximately the first half of every year. This combination of regional advantages and technical features make SFR’s newest facility a strategic and key asset for tenants looking for reliable, secure and scalable data center space in the Chicago market.
