Work may begin later this year in Phoenix on the redevelopment of a former Motorola electronics and semi-conductor manufacturing plant.
The project at 1110 N. 52nd Street belongs to the Chicago-based Baker Development Corporation and could see the construction of to 800,000 square feet of new data center space.
The project is being seen as only the latest response to a growing demand in southern Arizona for more data center space.
Baker Development has a growing profile in Arizona with two projects in Goodyear and Yuma. The Goodyear project is known as VB/143 and includes two structures for a total of 325,000 square feet.
The other project, with up to 520,000 square feet of warehouse space, is called VB/Yuma and has a completion date of later this year.
The original Motorola plant on 52nd Street was built in 1956 and eventually included a 5,000-gallon underground storage tank.
In 1999, the company was split off to become ON Semiconductor, although Motorola remained responsible for the cleaning up of ground contamination and maintenance of the site, a process that has been ongoing.
By Garry Boulard
