What could be a better sign of the times we live in than a disused newspaper printing facility shutting down and turning into a data center to host and serve online content? It's like building cars in a horse stable, or if an old Tower Records storefront was used to print iTunes gift cards. Whatever it is, it's happening in real life here in Chicago. The Sun-Times has reported (and they should know) that QTS Realty Trust, a developer of data centers across the country, has purchased the shuttered Sun-Times printing plant and its land at 2800 South Ashland Avenue for $18 million. QTS will spend $200 million or more expanding the facility and converting it into a state-of-the-art facility for housing computers and data for paying clients by early 2016. Chicago is a prime location in the country as a hub for internet traffic just as it has been for boat, rail, and plane traffic before, but existing data centers are running close to capacity, which has smart developers looking for any suitable facilities they can buy and cram full of computers.
·Former Sun-Times plant sold for $18M, will host data centers [Chicago Sun-Times]
·Previous McKinley Park coverage [Curbed Chicago]
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