QTS Realty Trust announced in July that they had completed the purchase of a Chicago data center that was previously home to the Sun Times press facility. The acquisition was completed early in July and cost nearly $18 million.
The Chicago data center is comprised of a 317,000 square feet building sitting on 30 acres in the center of the city's downtown area. The facility offers 24 MW of power and has a access to a strong connectivity, including long haul fiber networks. QTS Realty Trust has expressed interest in expanding the data center to include a total of 400,000 square feet and offer 37 megawatts of power.
The acquisition fits with QTS Realty Trust's pattern of purchasing large-scale, infrastructure-rich facilities throughout the country. The news of the former Sun Times building deal follows a recent announcement that QTS acquired McGraw Hill's New Jersey data center.
"Our strategy and business model is to provide an integrated technology platform on top of world-class infrastructure," said QTS CEO Chad Williams. "This acquisition strongly supports our growth philosophy. We look forward to bringing the QTS brand of operational excellence and premium customer experience to the Chicago data center market."
With the purchase of the Illinois data center, QTS Realty Trust is able to expand their Midwest presence. Chicago is home to dozens of Fortune 500 companies and has proven itself as a hub for healthcare, technology, financial services, consumer goods and service industries due to its central location. The city's unique geography leaves it with a low risk for natural disasters, making it an ideal place for data center providers looking to build new facilities.
