NTT Chicago: $10B Global Expansion CH3 Data Center Itasca
Status: Under Construction (Completion Scheduled for 2026) | Location: Arlington Heights Road, Itasca
Project Overview
On March 3, 2026, NTT DATA announced it had secured nearly 115 MW in new capacity commitments across its North American portfolio, with the Chicago Itasca campus serving as a primary beneficiary. The CH3 facility, currently under construction and slated for completion later in 2026, is part of a multi-phase development on a 35-acre site. This expansion is a key component of NTT's massive $10 billion global investment plan (running through 2027) aimed at delivering infrastructure capable of supporting dense AI workloads. The Itasca campus is designed for high-availability and extreme scalability, featuring a dedicated on-site electric substation to bypass local grid congestion. CH3 follows the successful launch of CH1 (2019) and CH2 (2023), further solidifying the Chicago market as a critical hub for financial services, gaming, and cloud providers. The facility is engineered to support the latest Smart AI Agent™ Ecosystem and high-density liquid cooling requirements for generative AI training and inference.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | NTT Chicago: $10B Global Expansion CH3 Data Center Itasca |
| Location | Arlington Heights Road, Itasca |
| Status | Under Construction (Completion Scheduled for 2026) |
| Commissioning | Phased: CH3 Completion H2 2026 |
| Total IT Load | 126 MW (Total Campus Potential) |
| Total Capacity | 4 Data Center Buildings (Fully Built Out) |
| Tier Level | Tier III+ (Enterprise & Hyperscale) |
| Project Type | Hyperscale & High-Density Colocation |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Itasca |
| Population | ~9,500 (2024 estimate) |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~9.5 million (part of the Chicago–Naperville–Elgin metropolitan area) |
| City GDP | ~USD 1.0–1.2 Billion (estimated based on local income levels and economic activity) |
| Per Capita Income | ~USD 62,700 |
| City Tier | Small City / Chicago Metropolitan Suburb (Tier 3) |
| Key Strengths | Proximity to Chicago, strong corporate parks, logistics and transportation access, high household income, business-friendly suburban environment |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | NTT Global Data Centers |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Village of Itasca / DuPage County Economic Development. |
| Construction Contractor | Clune Construction / JE Dunn (Preferred Regional Partners). |
| MEP Engineering | Syska Hennessy / KW Mission Critical Engineering. |
| Network Connectivity | Direct low-latency mesh to 350 Cermak and local fiber rings. |
| Power Infrastructure | Dedicated 110kV On-site Substation; 100% renewable energy options. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Power Capacity | 126 MW Total Planned Campus Load |
| UPS Redundancy | $N+1$ or $2N+2$ Distributed Redundant |
| Cooling System | Air-cooled chillers with integrated water-side economization. |
| Connectivity | Carrier-neutral; diverse fiber points-of-entry (POEs). |
| PUE Target | 1.25 |
| Energy Mix | Matched 100% with renewable energy via NTT's Green Power program. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | March 3, 2026 (Capacity Expansion Update) |
| Construction Start | Active (CH3 Build) |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | 2019 (CH1) |
| Full Buildout | 2027 |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | ~$1.2 Billion (Campus Total) |
| Funding | NTT DATA Group Corporate Finance. |