A company that provides connectivity and colocation services for customers across North America has announced plans to build a data center campus in Central Ohio. Cologix, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 20 said it had acquired land in Johnstown, Ohio, where it will develop eight artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.
Cologix is considered a leading network-neutral interconnection and hyperscale edge data center company. The group on Wednesday said its complex, representing a $7 billion investment, would be built on 154 acres, with potential for 800 MW of scalable capacity across 2 million square feet of operating space.
The company said the new campus is part of the group’s growth strategy, particularly in Central Ohio, which has become a hotbed of data center activity. Cologix said it expects to begin the first phase of the project in 2025.
Central Ohio economic development leaders have said that total data center investment in the region topped more than $20 billion prior to the Cologix announcement. Amazon last year said it plans to spend $7.8 billion over six years on more data centers in the region. Microsoft last month announced a $1 billion investment to build three data centers in Licking County, Ohio. AEP Ohio, a local electric utility, has proposed a tariff system that would be paid by data center developers to offset the cost of power infrastructure needed to support increased demand for electricity.
“As the largest provider of colocation and interconnection solutions in Columbus, we are thrilled to deepen our investment in Central Ohio,” said Laura Ortman, CEO of Cologix. “This new eight-data-center campus is more than an expansion—it’s a testament of our commitment to high-capacity, resilient digital infrastructure that not only meets but anticipates our customers’ evolving requirements.”
Cologix said it bought the property from Johnstown Land Company, an affiliate of New Albany Company. Cologix in a news release on Wednesday said it “is collaborating with local community leaders to ensure that the development aligns with regional priorities and contributes to long-term economic and technological growth.”
“The City of Johnstown is pleased Cologix, a leader in the data center industry, has made an investment in our community to support the technology needs of its partners,” said Johnstown Mayor Donald Barnard. “Cologix choosing Johnstown is confirmation that our updated planning policies are paying off. This is a catalyst project for positive momentum towards Johnstown’s bright future. We believe that Cologix will find Johnstown to be a wonderful new home.”
Cologix already operates four data centers in Columbus, Ohio, with a combined footprint of 500,000 square feet and 80 MW of power. The company earlier this year completed development of the first colocation AI-ready data center in the region. Cologix said the facilities “are interconnected through a diverse fiber ring and include Ohio’s most comprehensive carrier hotel. Cologix’s interconnection ecosystem includes 50+ unique network and cloud service providers, two public cloud onramps with direct access to Amazon Web Services Direct Connect and Google Cloud Interconnect and the Ohio IX internet exchange.”
Cologix has more than 40 hyperscale data centers and interconnection hubs across 12 markets in North America.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).
