Flexential Boosts its Hillsboro Data Center Footprint with 54 MW Expansion

Colocation and hybrid cloud provider Flexential is expanding its presence in the fast-growing data center hub of Hillsboro, Oregon. Flexential plans to add 54 megawatts of capacity in Hillsboro through a phased deployment with developer T5 Data Centers.

Flexential says the expansion will support customer growth in the Hillsboro market, including access to multiple subsea cables in Flexential’s NAP of the Northwest. When the expansion is complete, the company will offer more than 100 MWs of capacity.

“It was a clear, necessary next step to expand our Hillsboro footprint as demand continues to increase in a region that offers a direct, fast connection to APAC (Asia-Pacific markets),” said Ryan Mallory, Chief Operating Officer of Flexential. “As the longest-standing data center provider in Hillsboro, we are committed to providing the most flexible connectivity and capacity options for our Pacific Northwest customers, backed by Flexential’s industry-leading ability to offer a complete cloud portfolio to suit customers’ unique needs. We look forward to the continued growth and success of this campus.”

T5 Construction Services will provide development and construction services to deliver an initial 18 megawatt, 138,000-square-foot data center, which will be followed by a build-to-suit facility that will provide Flexential with an additional 358,000 square feet of space and 36 MWs of power capacity. Both data centers will feature a sustainable design and will target operating at 1.4 PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) and zero WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness), as required to qualify for Flexential’s Green Finance Framework.

The new T5 campus is adjacent to Flexential’s existing Hillsboro presence and will directly interconnect with Flexential’s Hillsboro 2, known as the industry’s NAP of the Northwest, home to the New Cross Pacific and Hawaiki subsea cables and providing access to three other subsea cables in the market.

“Flexential’s expansion within our Hillsboro data center campus aligns perfectly with T5’s commitment to sustainability and customer service,” said Pete Marin, CEO of T5 Data Centers. “T5’s Development and Construction Services team has already engaged and is working closely with Flexential to deliver 500,000 SF and 54MW of industry-leading quality and performance that will support the needs of their customers and our environment.”

Flexential is in Building Mode

The Hillsboro expansion builds on Flexential’s ambitious building program for 2022. The company expects to finish the year with over 220 MWs and 3 million square feet of capacity across 19 markets. That growth is accelerated by working with partners like T5 Data Centers, which has a long track record of building single-tenant data centers for leading operators.

“When Flexential made the decision to expand our Hillsboro footprint, partnering with T5 was the natural next step as we value their commitment to quality, customer service and providing customized industry solutions to a dynamic space,” said Mallory. “Both companies have a long-established presence in the Portland market, and we look forward to working together as we continue to bring esteemed data center projects and services to the region.”

As it has grown beyond its roots as a regional provider, Flexential has built a national footprint and global connectivity. With its theme of “beyond four walls,” the company is targeting customers that need to connect across markets, and operates a private 100 GB network for its data centers.

The Hillsboro projects is the latest in a series of expansions and growth for Flexential, which raised $2.1 billion in 2021 through an offering of asset-backed securities.  Flexential said the funding “dramatically improves the company’s investment grade credit profile, lowers the cost of capital, and allows Flexential to deploy greater data center capacity to meet accelerating demands in new and existing markets.”