DartPoints Buys Kentucky Data Center for AI Growth

DartPoints has strategically acquired a significant data center campus in Lexington, Kentucky, bolstering its infrastructure to meet the escalating demands of AI, hyperscale, and cloud-native clients. This move positions the company to capitalize on the rapid growth in compute-intensive applications, a trend projected to drive substantial expansion in the digital infrastructure sector.

The newly acquired Lexington facility encompasses approximately 343,000 square feet on a 29.5-acre site. It currently features 81,000 square feet of operational data center space, with the entire property fully zoned and equipped with an on-site substation. This robust foundation allows DartPoints to undertake a phased development strategy, aiming to deliver an initial 20-30 megawatts of power capacity, with potential for future expansion up to 70 megawatts. This scalability is crucial for accommodating the power-hungry requirements of modern AI workloads.

Designed for next-generation computing, the campus will support high-density deployments capable of handling up to 200 kilowatts per rack. Advanced power distribution at 415V and sophisticated cooling solutions, including direct-to-chip liquid cooling, are integral to the site's design. These capabilities are essential for managing the thermal challenges presented by advanced AI inference and training models, a critical bottleneck in current AI development.

Lexington's selection was driven by a confluence of factors, including existing infrastructure, reliable utility support from Kentucky Utilities and LG&E, and streamlined zoning processes. The collaborative efforts with local economic development agencies are expected to accelerate the development timeline, offering a competitive advantage over typical greenfield projects. This strategic location also offers excellent connectivity, situated between major data hubs like Ashburn, Chicago, and Atlanta, facilitating robust peering and data exchange for demanding applications.

This acquisition aligns with DartPoints' overarching growth strategy to provide power-efficient and scalable digital infrastructure. The company anticipates the Lexington campus will serve a diverse clientele, from enterprises deploying AI solutions to large-scale neo-cloud providers. The increasing need for specialized data center facilities capable of supporting dense, high-power deployments underscores the strategic importance of this expansion.

The digital infrastructure market, particularly for facilities supporting AI, is experiencing unprecedented growth. Global spending on AI infrastructure is projected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years, driven by advancements in machine learning and large language models. Facilities like the one acquired by DartPoints are vital components in this ecosystem, enabling the deployment and operation of these transformative technologies.