CHICAGO — Chicago-based JRM Technology has received city approval for the development of a 315,000-square-foot data center on Chicago's Near South Side. The project will be located at 111 E. Cermak Road, just two blocks away from an existing 1.1 million-square-foot data center located within the former RR Donnelly printing plant at 350 E. Cermak Road.
“With 350 East Cermak approximately 95 percent leased, firms that need very fast fiber optic transmission speeds are seeking data center space close by,” said James McHugh, principal of JRM Technology, in a statement. “The new center's location helps ensure a large amount of fiber providers with high-volume and low-latency fiber optic lines.”
The new data center will be powered by up to 40 megawatts of electricity, and two ComEd substations are planned to service it. The six-story building will also contain 143,000 square feet of raised floor space, 18-foot ceiling heights, space for full-generator backup and heavy duty cooling systems. In addition, the project will be applying for LEED-Gold certification.
James McHugh Construction Co. is serving as design/build contractor. Environmental Systems Design is serving as lead architect/engineer, and Archideas will be the consulting architect. The project is anticipated to break ground this fall, with completion expected in late 2011.
“This will be the first data center in the downtown area designed and built specifically as a data center from the ground up,” McHugh added. “Every aspect of the building will be tailored to clients' needs, from robust redundant power sourcing to cooling systems and security.”
— Coleman Wood