Microsoft picks up more land in Columbus

Microsoft is again expanding its data center presence in Columbus

Columbus Ohio - Microsoft has acquired more land in the Columbus region, with an eye toward continuing to build out its data center capacity.

The company's recent purchases include nearly 300 acres in Pataskala for $30.65 million in October 2023, complementing earlier acquisitions of 184 acres in Johnstown for $56.9 million in June 2023, and 16 acres in New Albany for $4.7 million in July 2023. Additionally, Microsoft secured another 300 acres in Hebron in November 2023, and ongoing acquisitions around Heath and Union Township hint at further expansion plans.

The Newark Advocate this week that Heath Mayor Mark Johns confirmed that the company acquired land in Licking County.

The acquired land is located west of Thornwood Drive and south of Hallie Lane and was previously owned by Ramp Creek Estate LLC, which owned 219 acres on three parcels. The two westernmost parcels are bordered on the north by railroad tracks.

Precise details on the company’s plans weren’t shared.

"I can't confirm exactly what parcels were purchased, I just know that's the area," Johns told the publication. "Based on what we know at this time, the project is like the project Microsoft is considering in Hebron."

As previously reported, Microsoft is in the process of acquiring around 100 acres in Hebron, some five miles south of Heath. The company is also looking to acquire another 100+ acres in nearby Union Township. Hebron Mayor Valerie Mockus told the Advocate that the sale is still ongoing.

This surge in land buying by Microsoft is mirrored by other major tech companies recognizing Columbus' strategic value. Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently bought 234 acres in Pickaway County.

Google has also been a significant player, investing $1.7 billion to expand three existing data center campuses in New Albany, Columbus, and Lancaster. This builds on Google's substantial investments totaling over $2 billion in Ohio since 2019.

Intel is undertaking one of the largest expansions with a planned $20 billion investment to construct two new chip fabrication plants on a 1,000-acre site in New Albany. This project is expected to attract further investments and innovation in chip manufacturing and related industries.

QTS Data Centers and Aligned Data Centers are also key contributors to the region's data center boom. QTS plans to construct four new data centers across two campuses in New Albany, representing a $1.5 billion investment. Aligned has unveiled plans for a 129-acre campus, signaling robust growth and development in the sector.

Additionally, smaller players like Edged Energy have received approval to build a $250 million, 210,000 square-foot data center campus in New Albany, emphasizing the widespread interest across various firms in leveraging the region's favorable conditions for data center development.

Columbus' appeal as a prime location for data centers is largely due to its strategic central U.S. location, robust infrastructure, competitive tax incentives, and low risk of natural disasters, which collectively ensure efficient operations and connectivity for national and global networks.

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