2 MSF Philly Data Center Project Moves Forward

A neighboring site offers an additional 5 million square feet of development potential.

fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty and Green Fig Land Co. have unveiled the latest advancements at their 100-acre hyperscale data center development outside Philadelphia that could eventually comprise up to 2 million square feet of space. Lease options are now available for build-to-suit, powered shell and turnkey data center space.

Located about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia in East Whiteland Township, Pa., the site was acquired by GFLC and 1547 in 2022. The development firm had previously received the local authorities’ approval to construct two data centers of about 1 million square feet each. An adjacent property is available for the development of data center buildings totaling up to 5 million square feet.


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Adjacent to the Planebrook substation, the Chester County campus has an initial commitment of 290 MW of power from a local provider, including access to carbon-free power capabilities that will be available by 2025-2026. The power provision is critical to address the increasing requirements of hyperscale companies and diverse technology-driven enterprises as artificial intelligence, video streaming and other cutting-edge technologies and applications place greater demands on data center infrastructure.

Other green energy solutions are to include rooftop solar with potential generation of up to 7 MW of capacity scalable to 25 MW. In addition, 1547 is committed to a sustainable reforesting project and plans to plant 4,000 new trees at the Chester County site.

Previously the location of Foote Mineral Co.’s Frazer facility, the parcel is on the corner of Valley Creek Boulevard and Swedesford Road. The property has access to Tier 1 carriers such as Arelion, Lumen and Windstream.

Incentives outlined

John Bonczek, chief revenue officer for 1547, said in a prepared statement financial incentives offered by Chester County are among the best available for large-scale computer infrastructure deployments. The developers, operators and future tenants will also benefit from state sales tax exemption on data center developments that includes all construction equipment, materials, data center furnishings, fit-out and IT equipment.

Matawan, N.J.,-based 1547 is a developer, operator and owner of highly-interconnected, customer-designed data centers with more than 1.25 million square feet of data center space under management in the U.S. and Europe. The company’s portfolio includes carrier hotels and core connectivity hubs designed to deliver mission-critical solutions. Its flagship data center in Orangeburg, N.Y., is home to Fortune 100 companies and large hyperscalers attracted to the space, power and proximity of connectivity to facilities in Manhattan.