Forget just protecting against hurricanes—one Houston-area developer is building data centers underground that can take just about anything man or nature throws at them. (That's not a challenge, though... don't start throwing stuff at it.)
Caldwell Cos associate VP Blake Virgilio tells us his firm is handling leasing for a three-building complex in Montgomery called the Westland Bunker. That includes an existing 105k SF office/disaster recovery building and an existing 38k SF underground data center (the only one in Houston). Phase II, a 108k SF underground data center, will deliver in April. Blake says the site is a real fortress. It’s isolated—45 minutes north of Downtown Houston and 100 miles from the coast—and powerful (it was built to withstand a direct nuclear attack).
Even the four-story office building is hardened, fully generator-backed, and layered with massively redundant connectivity so it’s always business as usual. If the underground aspect is throwing you off, you can relax—it’s 345 feet above sea level, only 85 feet below Dallas. Speaking of relaxing, the property has an onsite swimming pool for employees. (Blake calls it a country club for IT pros.) Blake says Caldwell is leasing all three buildings in Westland Bunker, each of which has space available. He hopes to capitalize on data center demand in Houston, which has increased tremendously in recent years. Besides, companies like to have their data centers close, and we all know North Houston's corporate activity is booming.
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