QTS may be set to occupy at least part of a Diode Ventures-owned data center in Kansas City, Missouri.
BizJournal reports that in October, Diode executed a pair of non-exclusive fiber easements with QTS Realty Trust Inc., giving the data center solutions provider permission to install and maintain data transfer infrastructure at the site, located northeast of I-435 and Highway 169.
Black & Veatch subsidiary Diode Ventures last year filed a preliminary plan for the Rocky Branch Creek Technology Park, a data center campus that would occupy 359 undeveloped acres it controls northeast of US Highway 169 and Interstate 435 in Missouri.
The company was originally looking to develop up to nine data center buildings in Kansas City's Northland, together totaling 1.96 million square feet (182,000 sqm), but has since expanded the plans to include as many as 12 buildings totaling 4.3 million sq ft (400,400 sqm). When fully built out, Rocky Branch Creek is planned with a critical IT load of around 215 to 220MW and a full-site capacity of about 270MW.
Another non-exclusive fiber easement in the technology park was recorded in December with Lumen-owned Level 3 Communications LLC.
Corgan, the architect for Rocky Branch Creek, previously worked with QTS on at least five data center projects in Atlanta, Fort Worth, and Northern Virginia.
QTS did not return BJ’s requests for comment. A Diode Ventures spokesperson said the company cannot provide client details because of the confidential nature of its work.
"We are working with our clients to develop Rocky Branch Creek, and we are excited about what the development will bring to Kansas City," the spokesperson said.
The proposed site is close to Diode’s Golden Plains Technology Park. The 760-acre site has since been acquired by Meta, which previously has taken out large agreements with QTS in Oregon.
Diode also has plans for a third potential campus in the area; it is in early stages of evaluating Hampton Meadows, a smaller data center site conceptualized for 30 acres it owns south of Golden Plains, between I-435 and Cookingham Drive.
QTS is no stranger to large developments. The company is planning an 800-acre campus in Manassas as part of the PW Gateway project, as well as a 16-building, 6.6 million sq ft (613,160 sqm) development in Fayetteville, Georgia known as Project Excalibur.
Google seeks construction partner in Kansas City
BJ also notes that between Dec. 16 and Jan. 5, the Port Authority of Kansas City listed a contracting opportunity for a "Building 1" by Google-affiliated entity Shalerock LLC. Sherlock was inviting general contractors to submit proposals for preconstruction and construction services.
Google acquired around 79 acres in the Hunt Midwest Business Center in August 2019, followed by an additional 236 acres just north in December 2021. The $600 million planned development has been known as ‘Project Shale’.
A company spokesperson told BJ: "While we do not have a confirmed timeline for development for the site, we want to ensure that we have the option to further grow, should our business demand it."