We previously published a series of posts from Chris Curtis, who is the co-founder and SVP of Development for Compass Datacenters, that take you inside the byzantine world of data center development. We wanted to present the full series here for your reading enjoyment and to help shed a pro’s perspective on the many aspects of the development process, with a bit of humor as well.
This spring, he is continuing the series, covering the construction phase.
Data Center Development Diary: Day 1
Although development is rarely in the spotlight, it plays a major role in the success of a data center project, writes Chris Curtis of Compass Data Centers in Day 1 of the Developer's diary. The goal in this series is to take Data Center Knowledge readers through the development process of a project and share tips, best practices and head shaking anecdotes.
Data Center Development Diary: Day 2
In order to begin building a data center you must first complete the site approval process. Although the methodology differs slightly between municipalities, the underlying goal here is to follow the city’s published guidelines to be able to present a plan that adheres closely enough to their requirements, writes Chris Curtis of Compass Data Centers as he continues his series of posts from "The Developer's Diary."
Data Center Development Diary: Meet The Planners
Planning commission meetings are generally a cure for insomina, but Chris Curtis of Compass Datacenters hangs in at the local planning commission to further his project. Day 3 proves educational as he learns about the commission's requirements for "vegetative screening" and a "public gathering" place on the data center site.
Development Diary: A Public Gathering Place?
Development requirements are frequently very open to interpretation, writes Chris Curtis of Compass Data Centers in Day 4 of his developer's diary. Like so many other things in life, the answers to certain questions can only be derived through actual experience and he shares his experience of the meaning of "public gathering place" and "storm water detention pond" in this installment.
Developer’s Diary: Working Productively With Safety Inspectors
Sometimes your data center site needs and the city’s codes and regulations just seem to keep passing each in an endless, surreal loop, writes Chris Curtis of Compass Data Centers. He goes on to explain how he worked things out with the local code commission.
Developer’s Diary: Clearing the Final Hurdle
In this final installment of the developer's diary, Compass Data Center's Chris Crosby relates how to prepare for and answer questions from the local authorities at the Permitting and Inspecting Commission to get the prized "final approval."
Industry Perspectives is a content channel at Data Center Knowledge highlighting thought leadership in the data center arena. See our guidelines and submission process for information on participating. View previously published Industry Perspectives in our Knowledge Library.
If you would like to contribute to our Industry Perspectives channel, email us at perspectives@datacenterknowledge.com.