Data Center Construction in the Colorado Springs Metro
Megawatts, not square feet, size a data center project. The building is a secure shell around electrical rooms, cooling plant and a few data halls, and the schedule is controlled by what the utility can deliver and when the switchgear can arrive. We start every data center conversation with the power request and work outward from there.
Colorado Springs has a base of defense, space and corporate computing that makes secure facilities a normal request, not an exception, and Peterson Space Force Base hosts the headquarters and command centers of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. Buyers ask about perimeter standoff, hardened entries, compartmented rooms and limited document access in the first call. We respond to those requirements as facility specifications and keep the conversation away from the programs they support.
A modern data center also asks for the quiet skills of an industrial contractor: heavy slabs, tight tolerances, equipment yards, underground duct banks and coordinated commissioning. We handle the civil, structural and building work for the shell and the site, and we coordinate with the owner's electrical, mechanical and security specialists so each handoff happens on a documented date.
Why the Metro Attracts Computing Facilities
Computing already has a presence here. As of an April 2019 report, InterQuest on the north side counted SAP America and Walmart data centers among its employers, alongside manufacturing and corporate office tenants. That cluster shows the metro already hosts computing next to manufacturing and corporate office tenants. Northgate and InterQuest continue to draw operators who want a campus setting on the north side of town.
The airport area is the other candidate. Colorado Springs Utilities and the airport signed an agreement on June 13, 2025 to build electric, gas, water and wastewater infrastructure for Peak Innovation Park, including a transmission framework of up to 600 megawatts and a new high-voltage substation. For a data center buyer, that is a notable statement of intent on power capacity.
Review, Energy and Environmental Rules
Colorado Springs, Fountain and Monument share the 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, which carries the 2021 International Building Code and is enforced by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. A data center is typically reviewed as a commercial occupancy with heavy electrical and mechanical scope, so the reviewer will focus on fire protection, generator fuel storage, battery rooms and egress.
Energy rules apply directly. Colorado House Bill 22-1362 requires an energy code at least equal to the 2021 IECC wherever a code is updated on or after July 1, 2023, and from July 1, 2026 the state low energy and carbon benchmark applies. We raise cooling strategy, economizer use and electrical readiness during permitting coordination, since those choices affect both the permit path and the operating cost.
Security and Life Safety
Secure facility requirements shape the building from the outside in. Perimeter fencing, vehicle barriers, controlled entries and cameras form the first ring, and our fencing and security integration work places the conduit and power for those systems before the paving. Inside, we build compartmented rooms, secured cable paths and entries that match the owner's access plan.
Fire protection in a data hall is a specialized design, using early detection and clean-agent or pre-action systems chosen to protect equipment. Battery rooms, generator enclosures and fuel storage have separate hazard reviews. We schedule those items with the fire marshal's office early and keep submittal records organized for each system.
Shell, Yard and Support Structures
A data center shell is a heavy, plain building: a durable roof, controlled envelope penetrations and slabs designed for cable trays, racks and equipment loads. Many projects also need separate support buildings such as a security gatehouse, a utility building or a maintenance space, which we deliver through our data center support buildings work.
The yard is as important as the hall. Generators, chillers, transformers and fuel tanks sit on engineered pads with underground electrical duct banks connecting them to the building. We pour and test the pads, set the duct banks and trench in a sequence that keeps redundant paths physically separate, which is a requirement for the reliability tiers many owners want.
Phasing Power and Commissioning
Data center schedules are built around energization. Switchgear, generators and cooling plant carry lead times measured in months, so procurement runs alongside design. We use that period to complete site work, build the shell and prepare the equipment pads, so that when gear arrives it can be set and tested without waiting for the building.
Many owners deploy in phases: a first data hall and power block, then further halls as demand grows. We design the site and the shell so later phases can be added without interrupting live operations, with separate construction access, protected utility corridors and clear boundaries between active and construction areas.
How We Work With Your Specialists
Most data center owners bring their own design standards and specialty contractors. We fit into that structure, running the civil, structural and building package while coordinating with their mechanical, electrical and controls teams. Weekly coordination meetings, shared schedules and tracked request logs keep the interface between trades clear.
If your plans extend beyond a single hall, we can look at how the data center will relate to the rest of the site. Buyers who are also planning a manufacturing plant or an operations building on the same campus benefit from a single set of utility corridors and one security perimeter. Owners in the data center and utilities and power sectors consistently ask about that kind of shared infrastructure.
Start a Data Center Project
Send us your target capacity, parcel and security requirements. We will map the utility request, the shell and the schedule so you can evaluate sites with real numbers.
Common Questions
How long does it take to get power for a data center in Colorado Springs?
The timeline depends on the size of the request and the existing infrastructure at the site. Large loads can require new substations and transmission, which take longer than the building. The airport business park agreement points to a path for large capacity there. We recommend filing a load request before land is purchased.
Do you build to hardened or secure-facility requirements?
We build to written facility specifications, including standoff distances, hardened entries, controlled rooms and restricted drawings. Details of the missions or programs involved are not ours to discuss, and we keep documentation limited to named staff. The specification you give us is what we deliver.
What does altitude change in data center design?
Thinner air reduces the cooling capacity of air-cooled equipment, and generators lose output at elevation. Design must be based on the elevation of the site. The cool, dry climate can also support economizer cooling for a large part of the year, which affects the mechanical design and energy compliance.
Can a data center be built in phases?
Yes, and most are. We design the site utilities, equipment yard and shell so that later halls can be added with separate construction access and no interruption to live loads. The first phase should include the duct banks and pad space for later power blocks.
Is it better to build or lease space for computing?
That is a financial and operational decision. We provide cost and schedule information for building, and many owners compare it against colocation. If you are considering a smaller room in an existing building, we can price that work as a tenant buildout inside flex industrial space.