NorthPoint Development is moving forward with proposal to expand its gigantic Keystone Trade Center in Bucks County with a new 2 million-square-foot data center campus.
The $1.5 billion complex on a former U.S. Steel site in Fairless Hills is now in its third phase.
Described by NorthPoint as a “digital infrastructure campus,” the new data center will cover 247 acres and consist of 10 buildings ranging in size from 112,000 square feet to 217,000 square feet. The buildings will be one or two stories tall.
Falls Township’s Board of Supervisors has granted approval for the construction of the data center by NorthPoint.
The developer originally had planned to use the 247-acre site for four distribution facilities, including a 1 million-square-foot facility at 1 Ben Fairless Drive and over 3 million square feet of warehouses at 700 S. Port Road.
“This is a diversification of use of the site,” said NorthPoint attorney Mike Meginniss in a Falls Township release announcing the approvals.
The first two phases of the 5.5 million-square-foot Keystone Trade Center have already been completed and leased out. New Jersey-based US Elogistics signed on to lease 518,000 square feet in a newly constructed 1.04 million-square-foot building on campus, according to marketing materials.
At full development, the 1,800-acre Keystone Trade Center would have space for 20 or more industrial warehouses, distribution facilities, and data centers with a combined footprint of 10 million to 15 million square feet.
NorthPoint’s shift into data centers is an indication of changing market trends. Demand for industrial warehouse space increased earlier in this decade but has fallen sharply during the last two years.
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NorthPoint’s Proposed Data Center Campus at Keystone Trade Center: Factsheet
Project Overview
Location: Fairless Hills, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Site: Former U.S. Steel site
Total Site Area: 247 acres
Project Phase: Third phase of Keystone Trade Center development
Data Center Campus Overview
Total Data Center Area: 2 million square feet
Number of Buildings: 10
Building Size Range: 112,000 – 217,000 square feet
Building Height: 1-2 stories
Approvals and Development
Approval Body: Falls Township Board of Supervisors
Previous Planned Use: Four distribution facilities
Current Use: Digital infrastructure campus
Broader Keystone Trade Center Context
Total Keystone Trade Center Site: 1,800 acres
Projected Full Development Capacity:
20+ industrial warehouses, and distribution facilities
10-15 million square feet total footprint
And the latest addition; 2M SF Data Center Campus
Completed Phases
First Two Phases:
5.5 million square feet completed
Fully leased
Notable Tenant: US Elogistics (518,000 sq ft lease in 1.04 million sq ft building)
Market Context
Shift from Industrial Warehousing: Responding to declining demand for warehouse space
Focus: Emerging digital infrastructure market
Developer
Company: NorthPoint Development
Read also: Amazon Web Services (AWS) Announces $1 Billion Data Center in Marysville
