Criticon Plans Virginia Data Center

Criticon, a newly-formed developer of mission-critical facilities, will invest $115 million in its first data center, a planned 150,000 square foot colocation facility in Harrisonburg, Va. Criticon will redevelop the former Tyco Building at 1175 N. Main Street in Harrisonburg, expanding the facility by 40,000 square feet.

"Harrisonburg is the right fit for Criticon's first co-location data center," said Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine. "The area's university, technology savvy workforce, and multiple fiber carriers meet all the company's needs. Criticon's significant investment to convert the former Tyco Building and create new, high paying technology jobs will broaden the corporate base in Harrisonburg and the region." The new data center is expected to create 25 new jobs paying an average $80,000 salary.

Criticon Corporation is a privately held company headquartered in Alexandria, Va. that will focus on opportunities to provide mission-critical facilities to the federal government, as well as business continuity centers for enterprise clients.

"This is just the first of several mission-critical facilities including data centers, continuity offices and disaster recovery sites that we expect to build in the Shenandoah Valley," said Criticon CEO William Russell, adding that Harrisonburg is the ideal location for such a facility. "It's just over 100 miles from Washington, DC, over 50 miles outside the 50-mile blast zone, yet an easy two-hour drive. It is also over 50 miles from the nearest nuclear power plant, behind the Blue Ridge Mountains and accessible to plenty of electrical power and telecommunications fiber optic lines."

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide training assistance through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.