Shuttered Pennsylvania racetrack site enters review for 3-building data center campus

A former western Pennsylvania racetrack could soon take on a very different role after a data center developer announced plans to build a three-building campus on the 384-acre site.

Here's what to know

The Las Vegas-based data center developer Switch has begun the local approval process for the former Pittsburgh International Race Complex site. The racetrack, also known as Pitt Race, was sold in March for $50 million after it had shut down the year before, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The proposed three-building data center campus would include hundreds of industrial chillers, six dozen emergency generators, and a direct connection to high-voltage transmission lines, per the Post-Gazette. The proposal for the Big Beaver Borough site also shows how quickly shuttered entertainment and industrial properties are being repurposed to serve the growing digital economy.

Now, a Big Beaver Borough Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for August 27 to consider the project.

Project documents state that the campus would connect to public water and sewer service, with roughly 9,000 gallons a day projected for typical operations across the buildings, according to the Post-Gazette. The filing also says its cooling system for the computing equipment would recirculate water in a closed loop, but the initial fill volume is not listed.

More background

The project reflects a broader shift in land use as demand for data storage and computing power continues to grow.

Former commercial and recreational properties are increasingly targeted for data infrastructure, especially in places where power access is already available.

In this case, borough filings described by the Post-Gazette call for FirstEnergy to build a switching station that would tie into existing 345-kilovolt lines on the property. The filing says that the station would "ensure limited impacts to the existing power infrastructure."

Switch also claims that it does not plan to use natural gas to power the facilities, according to the impact analysis.

Yet, potential concerns include strain on local utilities, higher energy bills, security risks, and other unintended effects on surrounding communities if development outpaces planning. Residents are also concerned about other practical issues such as traffic, noise, water use, and emergency generator testing.

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