2 MW data halldesigned within an existing Manhattan office building
4 new chillers & 3 new cooling towers installed to support redundant cooling capacity
1 new 2 MW generator engineered to synchronize with two existing generators, backing up the entire building
5 electrical & mechanical construction phasesdesigned concurrently while maintaining continuous operations
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Verizon undertook a major infrastructure upgrade at its 230 West 36th Street facility to support the relocation of a mission-critical data center from a leased third-party building into a Verizon-owned space. Verizon’s goal was to consolidate critical operations within its own portfolio while improving resiliency, energy efficiency, and long-term control over its infrastructure. The challenge was significant: transform an aging Manhattan high-rise (never intended to house a data center) into a fully redundant facility.
OUR SOLUTION
We served as Verizon’s engineering partner from initial due diligence through design and phased construction, including:
- Performing early due diligence and feasibility studies to assess the building’s capacity to support mission-critical operations and inform capital budgeting and phasing strategies.
- Designing full-building mechanical and electrical infrastructure upgrades to support a new 2 MW data hall occupying an entire floor.
- Coordinating with Con Edison to bring new incoming electrical services into the building, including high-voltage service, step-down substations, switchgear, and distribution systems.
- Engineering new cooling infrastructure, including multiple chillers and cooling towers, to provide fully redundant capacity suitable for data center operations.
- Replacing legacy steam absorption chillers with electric centrifugal chillers to support NYC Local Law 97 compliance and reduce carbon impact.
- Designing diesel fuel oil systems, emergency power generation, and associated electrical infrastructure to support uninterrupted operations.
- Developing a phased construction approach across multiple packages to ensure the building remained fully operational throughout construction.
- Supporting concurrent energy-efficiency upgrades, including heat recovery chiller integration, to improve overall building performance.
THE IMPACT
This effort repositioned 230 West 36th Street as a resilient facility capable of supporting high-density data center operations and maintaining continuous service for Verizon’s network infrastructure that supports essential network and emergency services.
ABOUT VERIZON
Verizon is a leader in telecommunications, operating one of the largest and most reliable networks in the world. The company is committed to innovation and improving how people live, work, and connect.
