Switch and Data (now Equinix), acquired an existing abandoned New York area legacy data center. The 165,000 SF facility required upgrading and renovation to maximize the use of the building’s raised floor space with flexible power and cooling distribution.

Zoning regulations and deeded rights-of-way presented obstacles to expansion. Constraints on the building’s structural loading meant that mechanical and electrical equipment could not be located on the roof. HED developed a creative phased plan that would be able to respond to market requirements, business strategy, and site and building limitations. In the modular approach, the six new custom chillers were constructed in a factory and shipped to the site in sections that complied with zoning requirements and with need as the data halls were populated. The first section was installed while the subsequent two installations awaited zoning variance approval. This telescoped construction and occupancy timing even as negotiations with local authorities avoided setbacks to the project.

Gutting and renovating the space, the three-phased build resulting in 90,000 SF of raised floor, new mechanical cooling, and 26MW of UPS power was completed on schedule.