Thursday, January 29, 2026
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Data Centers

Data CentersDevelopmentIndustrialNorth CarolinaSoutheast

Corning to Develop Manufacturing Facility in Hickory, North Carolina as Part of $6B Meta Deal

by John Nelson

HICKORY, N.C. — Corning Inc. has announced plans to develop a new optical cable manufacturing facility in Hickory, about 58 miles northwest of Charlotte. The new plant is part of the New York-based tech manufacturing firm’s multi-year, up to $6 billion agreement with Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Meta will serve as the anchor client of the manufacturing facility. The agreement will help accelerate the build-out of advanced data centers to support Meta’s various apps and technologies, including its Llama AI platform. Under the agreement, Corning will supply Meta with “its newest innovations in optical fiber, cable and connectivity solutions.” The new factory and increased investment in Corning’s existing North Carolina footprint are expected to create 5,000 new jobs, including scientists, engineers and production teams. The initiative is expected to increase Corning’s employment in North Carolina by 15 to 20 percent. Back in October, Corning acquired 32.9 acres in Trivium Corporate Center, a 378-acre business park in Hickory, and agreed to invest $170 million to $267.9 million and create 132 jobs at the park.

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Data CentersIndustrialLoansMidwestMissouri

Patmos Receives $100M C-PACE Loan for Redevelopment of Kansas City Star Building into Data Center

by Kristin Harlow

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Patmos Holdings Inc., a provider of internet infrastructure, data center and hosting services, has received a $100 million C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) loan from PACE Loan Group for the ongoing redevelopment of the former Kansas City Star building into a data center and artificial intelligence (AI) campus. When the next phase of infrastructure upgrades is complete this spring, the 421,112-square-foot, four-story Patmos AI Campus will feature 35 megawatts of power. The C-PACE loan will fund energy-efficient infrastructure improvements. Patmos initially started construction in late 2024. Since then, two publicly traded tenants have inked multi-year leases with Patmos. Located at 1601 McGee St. in downtown Kansas City on the site that had been previously declined by the Kansas City Royals for its new stadium, the 5-acre campus is part of a significant retrofit project. In addition to creating AI data halls, Patmos will also convert nearly 150,000 square feet of the building into a multi-tenant technology hub, coworking and event space. The C-PACE proceeds will be used for energy efficiency, equipment, HVAC and plumbing improvements to support the data center’s cooling and electrical load. The project is slated for completion in March. Rafi Golberstein of …

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Data CentersDevelopmentIndustrialTexas

Reports: Microsoft Plans $400M Data Center in Castroville, Texas

by Taylor Williams

CASTROVILLE, TEXAS — Microsoft plans to open a $400 million data center in Castroville, about 25 miles west of San Antonio, according to reports from multiple news outlets including Data Center Dynamics and My San Antonio. According to the latter publication, which cited a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation, the facility will be known as SAT 82 and will span approximately 195,000 square feet. My San Antonio also reported that construction is scheduled to begin in August and to last about two years. In addition, Data Center Dynamics reports that Microsoft has other data center projects in the works in Castroville.

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Company NewsData CentersFloridaSoutheast

SoftBank Agrees to Acquire DigitalBridge in $4B Deal

by John Nelson

TOKYO AND BOCA RATON, FLA. — SoftBank Group Corp. has agreed to acquire DigitalBridge, a global asset manager based in Boca Raton that invests in data centers, cell towers and fiber networks. The Tokyo-based investment firm is looking to grow its AI and digital infrastructure platforms and capabilities with this acquisition. SoftBank has agreed to indirectly acquire all outstanding shares of DigitalBridge (NYSE: DBRG) for $16 per share, giving the acquisition a total enterprise value of approximately $4 billion. The acquisition price is a 50 percent premium to the unaffected 52-week average closing price as of Dec. 4, 2025. Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected for the second half of the year, DigitalBridge will continue to operate as a separately managed platform led by Marc Ganzi. The board of directors at DigitalBridge has unanimously approved the transaction.

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Data CentersDistrict of ColumbiaIndustrialMarket ReportsSoutheastSoutheast Market Reports

Has D.C.’s Industrial Sector Shifted to a Tenant’s Market?

by John Nelson

As 2025 closes, data suggests that the greater metropolitan Washington, D.C., area is stable but, like most markets nationally, remains below the industrial peak values achieved post-pandemic when vacancy rates hovered below 5 percent. That is no surprise, as we may never experience another “perfect storm” scenario in our lifetimes. The overall market for industrial buildings 100,000 square feet and larger is a healthy 6.3 percent, inclusive of data centers. A significant percentage of vacancy is masked by the build-out of data centers in Northern Virginia because, removing this asset class, the vacancy increases to approximately 9.1 percent. The number increases closer to 10 percent when we focus more specifically on logistics spaces, according to data from CoStar Group.  Confidence remains strong for leasing activity in larger Class A industrial buildings, but the underlying economic fundamentals, uncertainty in tariff policy and geopolitical instability could lead to a continued trend of higher vacancy rates in the future. Consumer spending underpins the economy and is increasingly dependent on wealthier households who account for the majority of spending. Low- and middle-income households have continued to be squeezed by the rising costs of food, fuel and housing, which impacts the demand for shipped, manufactured …

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Data CentersIndustrialMarket ReportsSoutheastSoutheast Market ReportsVirginia

Richmond’s Industrial Market Is an Institutional Capital Darling

by John Nelson

The Richmond industrial market has been undergoing a dramatic transformation that reads like a case study in strategic positioning and timing. Over the past decade, this “regional market” has become a U.S. powerhouse, boasting all the ingredients to attract, maintain and organically grow supply-chain focused global occupiers and institutional capital investment. Richmond’s strategic advantages include its prime location on I-95 — equidistant to both metropolitan D.C. and the Port of Virginia — attractive labor demographics, disciplined development and strong demand from Fortune 100 occupiers. Additionally, the surging data center hyperscalers and their suppliers have further catalyzed growth in the market. The result? Richmond now features one of the lowest U.S. vacancy rates, sustained year-over-year rent growth, a feeding frenzy of institutional capital routinely producing 10 to 15 bids and lender quotes per property that have fundamentally reshaped who owns, develops and finances industrial real estate in the market. From regional player to national stage Over the past decade, Richmond experienced a 68 percent increase in institutional investors and lenders, growing from 47 participants in 2015 to nearly 80 unique institutions that have invested in and loaned on Richmond industrial assets, with 50 cents of every dollar invested in Richmond coming from …

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Data CentersDevelopmentIndianaIndustrialMidwest

Amazon Plans to Invest $15B to Build New Data Center Campuses in Northern Indiana

by Kristin Harlow

INDIANA — Amazon has unveiled plans to invest an estimated $15 billion in northern Indiana to build new data center campuses to support artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing technologies. The company says that generative AI is driving increased demand for advanced cloud infrastructure and compute power. The investment is in addition to the $11 billion investment announced last year in St. Joseph County and will expand Amazon’s infrastructure to new sites across Indiana. The new project will add 2.4 gigawatts of data center capacity in the region. The investment is expected to create more than 1,100 new high-skilled jobs while supporting thousands of other jobs in the data center supply chain. Amazon has partnered with NIPSCO to power its data centers. Through its newly created subsidiary NIPSCO Generation LLC, Amazon will pay fees to use existing power lines and cover the costs for any new power plants, power lines or equipment needed to serve the data center project without additional cost to local residents and businesses. These cloud computing and AI innovation campuses join Amazon’s operations footprint across Indiana that now includes 15 fulfillment and sortation centers, 11 delivery stations and data centers in New Carlisle, Ind. Since 2010, …

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Company NewsData CentersDevelopmentTop StoriesWashingtonWestern

Amazon to Invest Up to $50B to Expand AI Infrastructure for U.S. Government

by John Nelson

SEATTLE AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has announced an investment up to $50 billion to expand artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing abilities for Amazon Web Services (AWS) U.S. government clients. Amazon will break ground beginning next year on advanced data centers that will add 1.3 gigawatts of AI and supercomputing capacity. AWS currently supports more than 11,000 government agencies. The cloud computing software provides security, compliance and governance tools for the government control of unclassified and classified data. The new investment is expected to enable federal government agencies — including defense, healthcare and energy departments — in their discovery and decision-making processes using simulation and modeling data with AI. Amazon’s investment directly supports the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan outlined in June 2025. “Our investment in purpose-built government AI and cloud infrastructure will fundamentally transform how federal agencies leverage supercomputing,” says Matt Garman, CEO of AWS. “We’re giving agencies expanded access to advanced AI capabilities that will enable them to accelerate critical missions from cybersecurity to drug discovery. This investment removes the technology barriers that have held government back and further positions America to lead in the AI era.” Amazon’s investment is the latest deal in the private sector’s …

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Company NewsData CentersIndustrialTexas

Google to Invest $40B in Texas Data Centers Through 2027

by Taylor Williams

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. — Google will invest approximately $40 billion in Texas data centers through 2027 as the Silicon Valley-based tech giant looks to expand its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure capabilities. Google CEO Sundar Pichai made the announcement on Nov. 14 via a LinkedIn post, stating that the investment would also include the development of three new data center campuses in Armstrong and Haskell counties. Google said that one of its new campuses in Haskell County, which is located roughly midway between Fort Worth and Lubbock, will be built alongside a new solar and battery storage plant. Google also said in the post that it plans to “train existing electrical workers and more than 1,700 apprentices in Texas by 2030, more than doubling the projected pipeline of new electricians in the state.” As part of the investment, Google has also committed to an initiative to “strengthen energy resilience and abundance, as well as [to] support community energy efficiency initiatives through a new $30 million Energy Impact Fund.” According to Data Center Dynamics, Google is also planning an expansion of its existing data center facilities in Ellis County, which is located south of Dallas and encompasses the city of …

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AcquisitionsData CentersDevelopmentSoutheastVirginia

Reports: Amazon Acquires Data Center Site in Northern Virginia for $700M

by John Nelson

BRISTOW, VA. — An affiliate of e-commerce giant Amazon, Amazon Data Services, has acquired a site in Prince William County for a future data center campus. The firm acquired the undeveloped site near Devlin Road and I-66 in Bristow for $700 million, according to Washington Business Journal. CoStar Group reports that Stanley Martin Homes, a Reston, Va.-based homebuilder, sold the 188-acre site to Amazon and that Eastdil Secured represented the land seller in the deal. Washington Business Journal reports that the Prince William Board of County Supervisors rezoned the site for data center development in November 2023 and has since been in a legal dispute, with the Court of Appeals of Virginia recently upholding the county’s original rezoning decision.

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