By Destiney Dingess, The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A 60,000-square-foot data center will be constructed in downtown Huntington to further its mission of being a technological hub for Appalachia, city officials announced during a news conference at City Hall on Wednesday.
Alpha Technologies will renovate the former Appalachian Power Company building at 1125 6th Ave. into its newest Tier 3 Data Center and corporate headquarters, said Founder and CEO Doug Tate. The data center will further the city’s mission in delivering sustainable broadband to residents, help drive both business and economic growth and support local educational institutions, Tate said.
Work on the data center will begin mid-November, and phase 1 of the project is to be completed by March 2025. Over the next few years, Alpha Technologies will invest more than $20 million in support of the data center, Tate said.
The data center is expected to employ 30-35 people in the information technology sector such as software development, communications, infrastructure and fiber, Tate said. The top floor of the data center will be developed as a training center.
Tate said Alpha Technologies has seen the current and potential growth in Huntington, which was a leading reason for the partnership.
“Huntington is … quickly becoming a hub,” Tate said, noting developments both in the city and at Marshall University. “There is a lot of growth in this area and with additionally the support of Mayor Williams and his team has made it easier for us to move forward with the development here.”
