Tuscaloosa and UA prepare for major openings by 2028
The University of Alabama is nearing completion on a $96 million High Performance Computing and Data Center in Tuscaloosa, set to open in fall 2027. This new facility will house a $25 million supercomputer and include a dedicated chiller plant and an adjacent electrical substation. It will serve as a central hub for UA's new School of Data Science, supporting the entire campus.
The University of Alabama (UA) is nearing completion on its $96 million High Performance Computing and Data Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with an expected opening in fall 2027. Located at 709 Johnny Stallings Drive on the east end of campus, the 44,725-gross-square-foot facility will serve as the hub for UA's new School of Data Science.
The new center is designed to house a $25 million supercomputer, capable of quadrillions of calculations per second. Supporting this advanced technology, the project includes a dedicated chiller plant and an adjacent 22,500-gross-square-foot electrical substation. An additional $12 million has been budgeted for relocating operations from Gordon Palmer Hall to the new facility. UA President Peter J. Mohler described the center as a "hub-and-spoke model," aiming to centralize data operations rather than having individual colleges build multiple data centers across campus.
This data center is part of a larger, ongoing development push by the University of Alabama, which includes over $500 million in various projects. Other significant developments mentioned in the article for Tuscaloosa and UA include the Saban Center for STEM and arts (spring 2028), the $2.2 million Chief Tuskaloosa Plaza, the $177 million Smith Family Center for the Performing Arts (transforming the former Bryce Main building), a $63.6 million Student Well-Being Hub, renovations to Farrah Hall for a new School of Leadership and Policy, upgrades to the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, and an expansion of the Capstone College of Nursing facilities.