Inside Sabey Data Centers' 120MW Oregon Data Centre Build

After years of planning and site preparation, the SDC Umatilla campus in Northeast Oregon has officially reached vertical construction stage.

The project, located in Oregon's Columbia Cloud Corridor, has moved beyond preparation work as the first structural steel has been installed.

The milestone signals the start of the physical build for a campus designed to support hyperscale and enterprise customers seeking capacity in a region known for its connectivity and infrastructure.

From planning to construction

The latest milestone confirms that SDC Umatilla is now taking shape above ground.

The campus has spent several years progressing through planning, engineering and site preparation before reaching the construction phase.

Once complete, it is expected to provide customers with secure, scalable infrastructure capable of supporting growing cloud computing and AI workloads.

Tim Mirick, President of Sabey Data Centers, says: "Watching the first steel go up is always a significant moment because it turns years of planning, engineering and hard work into something you can finally see.

"We are excited to build here, excited to become part of this community and committed to serving our customers and this region for many years to come."

Located in Northeast Oregon, the development adds to activity across the Columbia Cloud Corridor, where access to network connectivity and power has made the region an established location for large-scale digital infrastructure.

Supporting growth in the region

Alongside expanding data centre capacity, the project is expected to generate employment throughout the construction phase, with hundreds of skilled tradespeople set to work on the development over the coming months.

Local businesses are also expected to support the build as work progresses.

State Representative Bobby Levy highlighted both the economic and operational aspects of the project: "The construction of this new data centre is an exciting investment in Northeast Oregon and a strong vote of confidence in our communities.

"Facilities like this keep our hospitals, schools and small businesses connected while creating new economic opportunities.

"I'm especially pleased that Sabey's use of a closed-loop cooling system demonstrates that innovation and responsible resource stewardship can go hand in hand.

"We're proud to welcome Sabey Data Centers to Northeast Oregon."

Long-term investment

Sabey says SDC Umatilla forms part of its long-term strategy to develop secure, reliable and sustainable data centre infrastructure in markets where technical requirements align with local partnerships.

The project is backed by National Real Estate Advisors, whose investment strategy focuses on long-term infrastructure assets.

TJ Hofheimer, Managing Director, Portfolio & Asset Management at National Real Estate Advisors, says: "At National, we focus on investments supported by strong fundamentals, experienced teams and the potential for long-term value creation.

"We believe SDC Umatilla reflects those qualities, and we appreciate the collaboration among Sabey, local leaders and community stakeholders that has helped advance the project to this stage."

With construction now visibly under way, work at SDC Umatilla has entered the phase where years of planning are finally becoming operational infrastructure.