There is no argument that the district of downtown St. Louis has charm. There are blocks and even entire streets, such as Washington Avenue, that remain unchanged since the days of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase and exemplify the depth of the city's history. However, the St. Louis district's vacancy rate of 22% has caused a weakened and depressed office market and the older buildings have had even less appease to companies. Nevertheless, there appears to be potential growth for data-center and computer software companies in downtown St. Louis. They are interested in many of the city's features that, in the past, have turned tenants away. Not only are the high ceilings and heaving construction, characteristic of the older buildings, ideal for modern data centers, but St. Louis provides a good operating environment because of their operating power. Xiolink recently acquired the building which once housed printing presses for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for $2.25 million and are currently spending $14.5 million in renovations essential for data centers. The CEO of Xiolink, Brad Pittenger, states that "the infrastructure [of the building] is a prime draw downtown...we have access to more power than you do in most locations in the country". The opportunities that have presented themselves for data centers provide promise to downtown St. Louis.
via The New York Times
via stltoday
