Data Center Construction for Denver Metro Owners

At 5,280 feet, Denver is a different design problem for a data hall than a sea-level site. Air is thinner, so air-cooled condensers, dry coolers and standby generators lose capacity, and the metro also ranks 10th among U.S. areas of at least 50,000 people for hailstorm risk. We build data centers with those two facts on the first page of the basis of design: equipment yards sized for altitude derating, hail protection on exposed coils, and roof structures that carry both.

Owners who come to us are usually one of three types: a colocation or hyperscale developer looking for a powered shell, an enterprise operator replacing an aging on-premises room with a purpose-built facility, or an edge operator that wants a smaller building close to a network node. The common thread is that power, not land, sets the pace. A parcel without a confirmed utility path is a speculation, and our preconstruction work begins by finding out which parcels have one and how long the extension will take. The same interconnection questions face utility and power owners and large fulfillment operators adding automation load.

From there we deliver the data center building as a system: structure and envelope, the generator and switchgear yard, the mechanical plant, the security perimeter and the underground infrastructure that links them. The owner's IT and facility teams see one schedule and one point of accountability from the earthwork through integrated systems testing.

What a data center package includes on our side

The core building is a high-security shell with slab loadings that carry rack rows, battery rooms and cooling distribution units, plus support space for loading, staging and operations. Outside, we build the generator pad and fuel containment, the transformer and switchgear yard, the chiller or dry-cooler field and the stormwater facilities that serve all of it. Underground, concrete-encased conduit and manholes bring in utility feeds and route power between the yard and the hall; see our work on electrical duct banks.

Security is part of the scope rather than an add-on. Perimeter fencing, vehicle barriers, a single controlled entrance and camera infrastructure are laid out with the building so that conduits are cast in before paving. For owners who want a dedicated facility or a standalone support building at an existing campus, our data center construction service is the detailed version of this package.

Airport-area and northeast metro land

Large flat parcels near the airport are the natural place to look. Denver International Airport owns 33,531 acres, and a May 16, 2022 amendment to Denver's Far Northeast Area Plan covers a greenfield site bounded by Tower Road, Himalaya Road and 70th and 72nd streets with potential to become a local employment center. Aurora Highlands, a roughly 4,000-acre development southeast of the airport, gained a full E-470 interchange at Exit 22 for $87 million that opened June 28, 2024.

Each of these areas has its own entitlement history and utility conditions. We walk the airport area and the northeast edge of the metro with owners at the earliest stage, comparing road access, soil, flood exposure and distance to the nearest substation. In the northern suburbs, the same questions apply in Thornton, where the I-25 and E-470 corridors are filling with large-format industrial buildings.

Codes, energy rules and the permit calendar

Building codes in the metro are set by each city and county, so the code edition that governs your hall depends on the parcel. Denver adopted new building and fire codes on June 13, 2025, based on the 2024 International Building Code, with a transition period of about six months. Thornton enforces the 2024 IBC, IRC and IFC with the 2023 NEC, implemented July 6, 2025, while other jurisdictions in the metro remain on earlier editions.

Energy provisions matter for a facility with continuous cooling load. Under HB22-1362, any county or municipality that updates its building code on or after July 1, 2023 must adopt an energy code at least as stringent as the 2021 IECC, with the state model low energy and carbon code becoming the benchmark from July 1, 2026. We confirm which version applies before the mechanical design is frozen and coordinate fire, electrical and environmental permits as parallel tracks.

Redundancy, water and noise decisions made early

Cooling choice is the largest design fork. Air-cooled plants use no process water but carry bigger footprints and altitude derating; water-cooled plants shrink the yard but add makeup water, treatment and a discharge plan. Generator count, fuel storage and emissions permitting add another set of decisions, and the answers differ by redundancy tier. We build cost and schedule comparisons so those choices are made on numbers.

Neighbors matter even on industrial land. Generator testing noise, chiller fans and truck traffic during construction can draw attention, and we plan haul routes, working hours and sound mitigation with the planning staff before work starts. Because hail can damage coils and rooftop equipment, we also review protective screens, coil guards and roof assemblies with your insurer's requirements in hand.

Long-lead gear sets the calendar

Transformers, switchgear, generators, chillers and uninterruptible power equipment can take longer to deliver than the building takes to erect. We run long-lead procurement as a separate track, issue early purchase packages and build the shell to be ready when the gear arrives. A dry, secured, power-ready hall is worth more to an owner than an early shell sitting idle.

Commissioning is staged: component tests, then integrated systems tests under load, with witnessed failure scenarios. We reserve that time in the baseline schedule and do not compress it when construction runs late. Winter weather in the metro averages roughly 49 to 54 inches of snow, so exterior concrete and underground work is front-loaded where possible to keep the critical path out of the coldest months.

Tell us the megawatts and the parcel

Send the target load, tier and timeline, along with any parcels under consideration. We will return a site and schedule review with power-path questions, cost ranges and a preconstruction plan.

Common Questions

How long does it take to get power to a new data center site in the Denver metro?

The timeline is set by the utility, the capacity requested and the distance to the nearest suitable substation, so we do not promise a standard figure. What we can do is get the load letter and application in early, map the likely route for lines and duct banks, and identify any parcel where an extension would cross a rail line, a creek or a major road. That early route study frequently decides which of two otherwise similar sites you buy.

Can you build a powered shell for a tenant to fit out later?

Yes. A powered shell includes the structure, envelope, utility services, generator and switchgear yard if specified, and a base mechanical backbone, with the tenant completing the hall interior. We coordinate the demarcation with the tenant's design team so slab, conduit stubs and equipment pads match their layout. Clear demarcation prevents disputes about who owns commissioning for the shared systems.

How does altitude change the design?

At this elevation, air-cooled equipment and engines produce less output for the same nameplate rating, so we size yards and select equipment with altitude factors from the manufacturer. Some designs call for larger condensers or an additional generator to meet the same load. These corrections are routine in the metro, but they need to enter the budget at feasibility, not after equipment is ordered.

What security measures are built into the project from day one?

We design for layered control: a fenced perimeter, a vehicle-rated barrier at the entrance, a single gatehouse or controlled lobby, interior mantraps if required and camera coverage that sees the yard and the roof. Conduit for those systems goes into the ground before paving. Retrofitting after pavement and landscaping is costly, so we keep the security consultant in the room during preconstruction.

Will hail be a problem for rooftop and yard equipment?

It is a real risk in this market, since Denver has had three of the ten costliest U.S. hailstorms. We specify coil guards or louvered screens where equipment is exposed, review roof membrane and substrate ratings and discuss insurance conditions with you in advance. Protection adds a modest cost compared with the replacement cost of a damaged condenser field.

Related