DataBank Breaks Ground on Third Minnesota Data Center Amid Investment Blitz

Colocation firm DataBank has broken ground on its third data center in Minnesota, as demand for data center space in the Twin Cities area booms.

The new DataBank facility, dubbed MSP3, will be located on 14 acres of land in Brooklyn Park. Phase 1 of the development will include a new 86K SF data center, and Phase 2 will include an additional 170K SF of data center space. Its two other data centers in the Twin Cities are a 16K SF facility located in West Twin Cities and a 55K SF facility in East Twin Cities.

“Our customers drive our growth and we are excited to once again expand our presence in the Minneapolis region with MSP3 to support their requirements for high quality, secure data center space,” DataBank CEO Raul K. Martynek said in a statement. “The Twin Cities have become beacons for growth and innovation in the Midwest, and DataBank is pleased to grow along with them.”

Dallas-based DataBank, which operates 20 data centers in nine U.S. cities, has been busily expanding its portfolio. In late September, the company signed an agreement to acquire zColo from Zayo Group Holdings; once completed, that deal will bring DataBank’s total data center portfolio to 64 data centers in 29 markets, including several European markets. 

In late October, DataBank invested $30M in EdgePresence, an operator of multi-tenant, modular data centers. The company described the investment as part of its expansion to “edge” sites, which are locations outside of major markets that can help deliver applications closer to their end users, lowering latency and improving performance.  

“With the continued expansion of 5G and internet infrastructure, we are seeing the need for geographic-specific colocation solutions,” Martynek said.

DataBank’s lead investor is Digital Colony, a subsidiary of Colony Capital, a REIT focused on digital infrastructure.