SFRlogoAn exclusive ribbon-cutting event occurred in Chicago today for a major new data center.  Server Farm Realty LLC (SFR), one of the nation’s most innovative data center developers, proudly unveiled their newest, state-of-the-art data center facility in Chicago.  This watershed event, an invitation-only unveiling ceremony, included dignitaries such as Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Peerless Network’s CEO, John Barnicle and Server Farm Realty’s CEO Avner Papouchado.

The Server Farm Realty Chicago data center serves as a key interconnection point to a number of global network providers.  The facility, located at 840 South Canal, features 450,000 total square feet that formerly housed a General Electric Co. (GE) factory and served as Northern Trust’s data center and operations hub.  Server Farm Realty invested over $220M to redevelop and transform the building into a Tier III data center.

The facility is situated in an eight-story building, delivering approximately 20 MW of power to over 138,000 square feet of raised floor data center suites.  Designed for 100% availability, the building also boasts a very green Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.4 or better – one of the lowest in Chicago.  The building has 4 MW critical load to five (floors 1-5), 250 pounds per square foot loading, and two carrier-neutral meet-me-rooms with dual fiber entrances.  There are two floors of trading space (floors 6 and 7), with 24 x 7 building operations for global market trading.  The facility includes a large selection of carrier choices including: AT&T, Verizon, 360 Networks, Cogent, CFN, Fiberlink, Level 3, Centurylink, XO, Sunesys, Zayo, Intellifiber, PAETEC, and Global Crossing.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel had significant praise for what Server Farm Realty brings to Chicago.  The workforce, coupled with accessible real estate and an abundance of power all centrally located with extensive communications infrastructure leading in all directions leaves no doubt that the city is well- positioned to attract more business and job opportunities.

Chicago is an ideal location for secure, low latency network infrastructure.  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.

For more information about Server Farm Realty, its data center facilities, and its build-to-suit, custom data center solutions, visit www.serverfarmrealty.com.