CoreSite looks to add second Orlando data center building
CoreSite has applied for a permit modification to add a second data center building to its Orlando campus in Orange County, Florida. This expansion is occurring amidst heightened political scrutiny and public debate across the state and nation regarding data center development and its impact on local infrastructure and resources. Local government officials are expressing varied opinions on the balance between economic development and environmental/infrastructure concerns.
CoreSite, a subsidiary of American Tower, has applied to the South Florida Water Management District for a permit modification to construct a second data center building at its Orlando campus in Orange County, Florida. The proposed 76,280 square-foot, two-story facility near John Young Parkway and State Road 528 would expand the existing 129,000 square-foot data center. Langan Engineering and Environmental Services prepared the site plans for the project.
This expansion effort highlights the growing political debate surrounding data center development across Florida and the U.S. Duke Energy Florida, the utility serving the site, is fielding numerous data center requests and has implemented a "large load process" to manage significant new projects and protect existing customers from associated costs, as electricity demand from AI and digital infrastructure escalates.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings recently expressed strong opposition to new data centers in Florida via social media, though his comments did not specifically target the CoreSite proposal. In contrast, Orange County mayoral candidate Tiffany Moore Russell acknowledged the operational necessity of data centers, citing their role in protecting court records, but also raised concerns about their infrastructure demands, stating a need to evaluate the overall impact and benefit for the county. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also raised concerns about data center construction's impact on water quality during a congressional hearing, referencing a Meta data center in Georgia.