July 2025 Newsletter
🏙️ Central Ohio: Data Center Demand | Part 1 of 2
The Central Ohio industrial market continues to evolve, and one sector now stands out as both dominant and transformative: data centers. Once considered a niche within industrial real estate, these facilities are now mission-critical to the digital economy—and Central Ohio is leading the charge.
With AI, cloud, and edge computing scaling rapidly, our region has become one of the most sought-after data center destinations in the country.
This month, we take a high-level look at what’s driving this growth, the key players behind it, and why Columbus is now essential to the global digital backbone.
📍 Major Land Deals & Hyperscale Commitments
🔷 Meta: 963 Acres & Expanding
- Latest Purchase (May 2025): 29 acres in New Albany for $8.45M
- Total Footprint: 963+ acres
- Ohio Investment: $1.5B+
- Impact: 300+ operations jobs, 1,200+ construction jobs
- Purpose: Supporting Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and AI workloads
🟧 Amazon Web Services (AWS): $102M Jeffersonville Campus
- Size: 590 acres near I-71 in Fayette County
- Planned Investment: $5B by 2030
- Power: New AES substation to serve the campus
- Economic Impact: Hundreds of AWS roles, thousands of supply chain jobs, and major local tax benefits
🔵 Google: $63M for 85 Acres in New Albany
- Location: Harrison Rd NW, 4 miles from current site
- Ohio Investment to Date: $6.7B
- Economic Output: $19.2B, plus $14M in local philanthropy
🟩 EdgeConneX: Energy-Driven Expansion
- Land: 270 acres across New Albany and Johnstown for $137.2M
- Power: On-site 120 MW gas plant (PowerConneX Energy Center)
- Future Capacity: Up to 216 MW by late 2026
- Operations Start: Q1 2026
⚡ Power: The Real Battleground
Power is now the most critical—and constrained—resource in data center site selection. Here’s how usage varies by type:
|
Data Center Type |
Typical Power Range |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Hyperscale |
100+ MW |
Cloud giants; massive scale |
|
Colocation |
5–50 MW |
Shared infrastructure |
|
Enterprise |
1–5 MW |
Company-owned, private use |
|
Edge |
<1 MW |
Close to users; ultra-low latency |
Utility companies are racing to keep up, and developers are creating private energy solutions to meet the demand. Expect this power challenge to be the defining issue for the next wave of growth.
🌱 Sustainability & Workforce Development
The new data center wave is focused on responsible growth:
- Renewable energy and water-smart cooling are becoming standard
- Green goals from AWS, Google, and Meta are shaping design and investment
- Workforce pipelines are being formed via partnerships with Ohio’s universities, trades, and technical schools
🧠 Final Takeaway
Central Ohio has emerged as one of the most important digital infrastructure hubs in North America. With billions in investment, massive land deals, and next-gen energy solutions, our region is becoming the blueprint for the future of AI and cloud computing.
Stay tuned for part two coming in the future where we will discuss some pros and cons.
This is no longer just a local industrial trend—it’s a global transformation starting right here in Columbus.
🔗 Let’s Connect
Want to discuss how data center growth could impact your land strategy, zoning approach, or investment planning? 📩 Email us to start the conversation!
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