Ground broken on $110 million data center

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS - Massachusetts broke ground on a $110 million data center that will serve as a secure housing facility for the state's electronic records and as a backup to the state's primary data center.

The 148,000 square foot facility is being built in Springfield and is designed to serve as a model for energy efficiency and sustainable building design.

"The Springfield Data Center is a project with a multitude of benefits," Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said a statement to announce the start of construction on the project. "In addition to securing critical data used by thousands of state workers, this facility will be a national model for environmentally-friendly data storage and an economic boost for the City of Springfield."

The data center has been designed to take advantage of fresh air cooling and will be outfitted with Energy Star certified servers and an advanced energy management system. The facility will also utilize natural sunlight, re-use captured rainwater, and recycled building materials are being used in construction.

The new facility is part of a larger state initiative to consolidate some 180-widely dispersed data centers into two more efficient data centers. When completed, the state estimates it will save about $3 million a year in energy costs.

The data center is being built at the site of a former high school in Springfield, which closed in 1986. It is expected to create about 70 full-time jobs and is scheduled to be completed in 2012.