The data center development market is a crowded space, and companies looking to expand their footprint must mitigate potential risks to ensure they make it to market efficiently.
When identifying land suitable for data center deployments, operators are frequently met with obstacles to site developability. Two predominant hurdles are zoning requirements and managing power infrastructure. In this two part blog series, we will explore the benefits of working with a developer like PointOne that can provide both vetted and powered land, and the benefits of both.
Vetted Land refers to land that has been prepped for data center development with:
- Proper zoning
- Utility access
- Stakeholder engagement
- Completed environmental studies
- Completed cultural resources and traffic impact analysis
- Completed community engagement work
- Miscellaneous studies and other work determined by the municipality
As developable land dwindles — especially in Tier 1 markets and adjacent areas — utilizing a site selection specialist can greatly reduce risk and increase speed to market for companies looking to deploy in certain areas.
However, it’s also beneficial when looking at newer markets as well, since county planning and engineering departments may not be as familiar with data center requirements which can delay required processes. Time wasted vetting and permitting land increases time to market and delays the ability for users to execute appropriate agreements with utility providers. PointOne is able to remove this risk to an organization by providing sites that are entitled and infrastructure-ready.
Another risk of deployment planning with un-vetted land comes from the potential of environmental complications. Part of PointOne’s vetting process includes recruiting multiple consultants to perform various types of environmental site assessments, ensuring there are no unanticipated complications once the site is marketed.
When looking to build a data center facility — whether in a densely populated area or rural county — mitigating potential risks to the investment is paramount. By purchasing infrastructure-ready land through PointOne, operators can rest easy knowing sites have been fully vetted and there will be no surprises that could potentially delay time to market. In the next blog, we will discuss the next step in the process by looking at the benefits of purchasing powered land.