U.Va. expands Fontaine data center plans
The University of Virginia is expanding its Fontaine Data Center in Charlottesville, adding a third floor and increasing the budget to $102 million. This expansion will support UVA Health and academic research by meeting growing demands for high-performance computing. The facility is expected to open in early 2029 and will replace an aging data center.
The University of Virginia (U.Va.) is moving forward with an expansion of its Fontaine Data Center (FDC) located at the Fontaine Research Park in Charlottesville. The university's board of visitors approved a revised project budget of $102 million, an increase from $72 million, for the 53,000-square-foot facility at a finance committee meeting on June 5.
The expanded data center, now including a third floor, is designed to accommodate the rising demand for academic research requiring high-performance computing and the health information technology needs of UVA Health University Medical Center. According to university spokesperson Bethanie Glover, the new location will enhance UVA Health's capacity and support the recruitment and retention of top faculty. The FDC is slated to open in early 2029, at which point the medical center's aging data center in Stacey Hall will be decommissioned.
The FDC will be commissioned with 4.5 megawatts of capacity, expandable to 17 megawatts without significant renovations. It is strategically located near U.Va.'s new combustion-free Fontaine Energy Plant, enabling the data center to utilize recirculated cooling water from the plant and contribute its waste heat to warm other buildings in the research park, promoting ecological and financial efficiency.