Switch, a technology infrastructure ecosystem corporation dedicated to the sustainable growth of the internet, today opened its largest data center campus in Grand Rapids, which houses the Switch Pyramid, designed to accommodate high-density deployments and high-performance workloads.
The campus was designed for up to 1.8 million square feet of data center space, up to 320 megawatts of power, and marks Switch’s strategic nationwide expansion to serve major key markets including New York, Chicago, Asburn , Va., Washington, D.C., and Toronto. The entire campus is 100 percent powered by green energy, as part of the company’s commitment to sustainably running the internet.
The first phase of construction is an adaptive reuse of the Steelcase Pyramid into the Switch Pyramid data center designed to include over 225,000 square feet of data center space. It is developed to the same standards as the company’s Las Vegas multi-tenant data centers, developed by founder and CEO officer Rob Roy.
“Since the announcement of Switch’s expansion into Michigan, the state has been attracting the tech world’s attention, defining the region and the state as an epicenter for technology that runs the internet of absolutely everything,” says Adam Kramer, Switch executive vice president for strategy.
During the accelerated construction and development schedule over the past year in Grand Rapids, general contractor The Christman Co. has employed more than 700 people at the site in construction and other positions.
Kramer says Switch expects to employ hundreds more as the campus is built out. With support of officials in Gaines Township and Kent County, development and permitting has begun for the first data center surrounding the Pyramid, the first of several data center facilities planned for construction there. The campus is expected to be under continuous expansion for the next 10 years.
