Illinois Medical District data center development is progressing through planning and permitting as Metro Edge Development Partners advances its IMD1 facility in Chicago. The project was originally announced as a $257 million development on a 1.97-acre site within the Illinois Medical District.
Metro Edge now describes IMD1 as a four-story, 174,900-square-foot facility with 53MW of total power capacity. The initial phase will provide 28MW, according to the developer’s current project information.
The development remains a planned data center rather than an operational facility. Current data center records list the site as permitted, while the Illinois Medical District continued reviewing the development as recently as September 2025.
Illinois Medical District data center moves beyond original construction plan
Metro Edge initially announced the project in 2022 as a five-story, 184,720-square-foot facility with 19.8MW of capacity. The original construction team included Corgan, Clune Construction, Power Construction and Ujamaa Construction, with T5 Data Centers also involved in the development and operations structure.
The project subsequently evolved. Metro Edge’s current specifications identify IMD1 as a four-story facility measuring 174,900 square feet. Its total planned power capacity has also increased to 53MW, with 28MW allocated to the initial phase.
Corgan’s current project profile lists the facility at approximately 190,000 square feet and identifies a 16MW critical load. It also confirms that Corgan continues to work with Metro Edge on the IMD1 development.
The project sits at the corner of Hastings Street and Damen Avenue. Its location provides proximity to Chicago’s central business district while positioning the facility within a major healthcare and research cluster.
The Illinois Medical District spans approximately 560 acres and includes healthcare institutions, research facilities, universities and biotechnology organizations. Metro Edge plans to position IMD1 as digital infrastructure for organizations operating within and around the district.
Medical District data center: Power and sustainability remain key elements of IMD1
The current IMD1 plan includes power from ComEd, with 53MW planned across the facility and 28MW in the initial phase. Metro Edge also identifies diverse feeds from two separate substations and renewable power availability among the facility’s power features.
The facility is designed around Tier III standards and includes N+1 and 2N configuration options. Metro Edge also targets a Water Usage Effectiveness rating of zero.
The developer says the facility will provide seven layers of physical security and biometric access. It will also support carrier-neutral connectivity and multiple network carrier partners.
In addition, the project carries a community-development component. Metro Edge has positioned IMD1 as an investment in Chicago’s West Side, including programs intended to connect local residents with technology-related employment opportunities.
Illinois Medical District data center data center construction pipeline expands
The updated IMD1 development comes as larger data center projects reshape Illinois’ construction pipeline. Among them, the approximately $20 billion PowerHouse Hillwood data center project in Joliet is planned across roughly 795 acres.
That development could deliver 1.8GW of capacity through four phases and 24 principal data center buildings. Its scale illustrates the substantial difference between urban data center developments such as IMD1 and newer hyperscale campuses planned elsewhere in Illinois.
The PowerHouse Hillwood project also faces a major power-infrastructure issue. In September 2026, FERC rejected ComEd’s attempt to cancel its Transmission Security Agreement with PowerHouse Hillwood, leaving the agreement in place while related contractual litigation continues.
Our PowerHouse Hillwood data center update examines the FERC ruling and the implications for the $20 billion Joliet development.
IMD1 therefore remains an important urban data center project within Chicago’s expanding digital infrastructure market. While the project has moved beyond its original 2022 announcement, current records indicate that it has not yet reached operational status.
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Commentary on the Metro Edge Data Center
According to Bradley Beile, COO of Metro Edge, “Metro Edge was created as a firm focused on high-impact, technology-driven innovations that have a positive impact on the market and the local community.
We are happy to be collaborating on the design and construction of this facility with top-tier partners including Corgan, Clune, Power, and Ujamaa. It is evidence of not only their support for the project but also of its significance and the advantages it will bring to the West Side.
Project Fact Sheet
Project: IMD1 Data Center
Location: Illinois Medical District, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Investment: $257 million
Site area: 1.97 acres
Current facility size: 174,900 square feet
Current building configuration: Four stories
Planned power capacity: 53MW
Initial power capacity: 28MW
Development status: Permitted/planned
Developer: Metro Edge Development Partners
Utility: ComEd
Ground lease: 75 years
Project Team
Developer: Metro Edge Development Partners
Architect: Corgan
Construction: Clune Construction
Construction partners:
- Power Construction
- Ujamaa Construction
Data center operator/development partner: T5 Data Centers
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