According to a recently published report from Jones Lang LaSalle, the number of U.S. communities actively attracting new data center projects to their area is on the rise.
In fact, states like Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas and Nebraska are devoting personnel, tools, and resources specifically to bring cloud computing providers to their respective geographies.
Nebraska, in particular, is waging an aggressive campaign. With its sponsorship of the upcoming Fall Forum on Financing, Investing and Real Estate Development for Data Centers sponsored by IMN, along with packaged incentives outlined on the Nebraska Advantage web site, Nebraska is clearly staking its economic future on the robust, ongoing growth of the data center industry.
Other states and cities would do well to follow suit—and not only in places where land is cheap and plentiful. This summer, we were pleased to help Windstream Hosted Solutions celebrate the grand opening of its new SAS 70 Type II compliant data center in the Charlestown section of Boston. Bypassing the Route 128 high-tech corridor entirely, Windstream chose instead to convert a decommissioned Hood ice cream factory into a Tier 3 cloud hub—breathing new life into an industrial zone, and providing a digital backbone to attract even more data-centric employers to the city proper.
Speaking of employment, our experience—along with the JLL’s findings—shows that data center projects not only spur skilled trade and construction jobs, but also beget jobs related to ongoing vendor service and support. And contrary to the concerns of some municipalities, data centers can bring long-term job gains to an area by providing a cloud-friendly infrastructure for other potential employers.
Every day, we see first-hand the benefits earned by creating cloud-friendly financial incentives. Cities and states looking to grow jobs should start taking a closer look, as well.
