DataBank Columbus 251 Neilston Street Data Center
Status: Operational | Location: 251 Neilston St, Columbus, Ohio 43215, USA
Project Overview
DataBank's 251 Neilston Street data center stands as a core enterprise-class computing node situated in the heart of downtown Columbus, Ohio. Designed to support robust corporate business continuity strategies, localized hybrid cloud environments, and highly secure infrastructure demands, the facility serves as a vital low-latency bridge across the American Midwest. The physical design of the site balances space and power delivery by supporting versatile colocation configurations ranging from standard single-rack cabinets and secure private mesh cages up to fully customized multi-rack enterprise suites. As an integral component of DataBank’s highly integrated nationwide digital infrastructure platform, the Neilston Street facility is structurally engineered to manage compliance-sensitive and mission-critical corporate workloads. The operational framework is fully backed by rigorous, audit-ready industrial certifications including HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 1, SOC 2, and ISO 27001, making it a primary choice for institutional data governance, regional healthcare networks, financial service operations, and higher education information systems. By integrating advanced environmental monitoring suites and automated building management platforms, DataBank maintains precise thermal thresholds and power stability across the raised floor area. The building’s geographical placement allows seamless multi-region failover and geo-redundant data distribution architectures, ensuring complete physical data security while enabling enterprise clients to securely scale their infrastructure footings without vendor lock-in or network bottlenecks in the highly active Ohio computing market.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
| Project Name | DataBank Columbus 251 Neilston Street Data Center |
| Location | 251 Neilston St, Columbus, Ohio 43215, USA |
| Status | Operational |
| Commissioning | H1 2014 |
| Total IT Load | 2.0 MW |
| Total Capacity | 2.0 MW (Engineered for downtown enterprise retail and secure managed cloud hosting) |
| Tier Level | Tier III Compliant System Architecture Standards |
| Project Type | Retail Colocation, Managed Cloud, and Regional Interconnection Hub |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
| City Name | Columbus |
| Population | Approximately 900,000 (2023 estimate) |
| Urban Agglomeration | Around 2.1 million (metro area) |
| City GDP | Approximately $85 billion |
| Per Capita Income | About $33,000 (2022 estimate) |
| City Tier | Tier 2 city (based on size, economic strength, and development) |
| Key Strengths | Education and Research: Home to Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the U.S. |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
| Developer / Operator | DataBank |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | American Electric Power (AEP Ohio), City of Columbus |
| Construction Contractor | Regional Mission-Critical Electrical and General Engineering Contractors |
| MEP Engineering | DataBank Corporate Infrastructure Design & Facilities Engineering Teams |
| Network Connectivity | Multiple Tier-1 transit backbones, localized dark fiber networks, and direct private network on-ramps connecting to major regional long-haul carrier rings. |
| Power Infrastructure | Dual-fed commercial power lines tapping directly into independent utility grids, distributed through a secure, indoor high-capacity distribution yard. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
| Power Capacity | 2.0 MW dedicated critical utility power supply |
| UPS Redundancy | N+1 distributed static block UPS modules backed by heavy-duty emergency diesel generator systems with on-site fuel reserve capacities. |
| Cooling System | Closed-loop precision air conditioning units configured with N+1 redundancy to regulate continuous multi-directional airflow and moisture metrics. |
| Connectivity | Carrier-neutral deployment featuring dual physically isolated Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs) and concrete subterranean vault infrastructure pathways. |
| PUE Target | 1.48 |
| Energy Mix | Provided via the localized urban electric network under AEP Ohio's regional power grid mix. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
| Announcement | Q3 2013 |
| Construction Start | Q4 2013 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | H1 2014 |
| Full Buildout | H2 2015 (Consolidated floor layout optimized to full baseline capacity limits) |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
| Total Investment | $12,500,000 (Estimated regional asset setup and advanced multi-phase facility fit-out) |
| Funding | Corporate capital infrastructure investment pools, institutional credit lines, and asset capitalization networks. |