Niagara Reporter
By Jacob Tierney
The developer, which owns more than 140 acres in downtown Niagara Falls, plans to construct nine buildings – totaling 1.2 million square feet – over five phases on 53 acres of undeveloped or underdeveloped land between Falls Street and Rainbow Boulevard.
“We’re talking right now about undeveloped downtown land,” said John Horn, partner with the law firm Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, who represents Niagara Falls Redevelopment.
The developer recently submitted a Planned Unit Development application to the city, seeking zoning changes that would allow the project to move forward.
Niagara Falls Redevelopment has partnered with Urbacon, a Toronto-based construction group that specializes in large-scale data centers.
The complex would use 140 megawatts of electricity, providing computing power for AI companies and other tech projects.
Once complete the Niagara Digital Campus would create an estimated 550 permanent jobs.
Horn said Niagara Falls is the perfect site for a project like this thanks to its proximity to ample electricity and climate. The goal is into integrate the campus into the fabric of downtown, he said.”This is truly an urban proposition,” he said. “What we are proposing is to build this data center near the people of Niagara Falls, near the businesses of Niagara Falls, in a way that is conducive to economic development not just today but for years to come.”
Dennis Elsenbeck, head of energy and sustainability for Phillips Lytle LLP and a consultant on the digital campus project, said Western New York needs sizable private investment to become a tech hub as envisioned by public officials.
“It allows us to actually kickstart the whole tech corridor conversation, given that the capacity exists in Niagara Falls,” he said. “We talk about smart growth. This is smart growth.”
The campus was first proposed in early 2021, but it has been held up in a prolonged dispute with Niagara Falls is in a lengthy eminent domain fight to try to take over about 11 acres from Niagara Falls Redevelopment to create a park and arena.
Niagara Falls Redevelopment has proposed donating a different 10.2 acres to the city.
City representatives did not return a request for comment on the Niagara Digital Campus PUD application.
