Corelink Leases Chicago Data Center

Corelink Data Centers said today that it has expanded its network to the Chicago market, entering into a long-term lease for an 81,600 square foot facility in the Chicago suburb of Mt. Prospect. The building has 10,000 square feet of existing data center space, and Corelink plans to modify the infrastructure to support power densities of up to 200 watts per square foot, with the ability to support higher density zones.

Corelink said it has secured more than 16 megawatts of power for the facility, which will eventually be able to house up to 65,000 square feet of useable raised floor, providing ample space for expansion. The location in Mount Prospect is about 25 miles west of downtown Chicago, close to O’Hare Airport but outside of flight paths, the company said.

Corelink was founded in 2007 and is backed by M/C Ventures of Boston and has existing data centers in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Seattle. Corelink's founder and CEO is Geoff Hampson, who has been involved in numerous startups, including Peer 1 Network Enterprises, where he served as CEO from 2000 through 2006. Corelink says it has an "active" mergers and acquisitions program and anticipates further expansion of its colocation facility footprint.

"Our move into the Midwest comes at a good time, when demand for co-location remains very strong and supply is limited," said Hampson. "This is particularly true for the Chicago market where we are committed to making a large investment into this new facility, which will be our largest yet.”

Corelink also said that it will move its headquarters from Phoenix to Chicago, effective immediately. The company also said that it has hired Jay Sinder as CFO. Sinder comes to Corelink from Hostway Corporation where he was CFO. Prior to Hostway, Sinder was CFO at Focal Communications where he was responsible, among other things, in structuring and securing both equity and long term debt financing for the company.

"Jay is a great addition to the Corelink team," said Hampson. "He brings in-depth knowledge of the industry and a track record of managing and financing successful growth stories."