Micro Data Centers Could Fill Office and Retail Vacancies

Micro data centers and cryptocurrency farms could be the perfect solution for retail and office owners looking to fill vacant space or monetize non-traditional or un-leasable space in a property.

“Micro data centers and cryptocurrency farms are technology uses that are growing in popularity. They pair well with office and retail properties and are ideal ways for property owners to boost income. In fact, owners can lease out these spaces for as much as $500 per square feet, which is practically unheard-of for any other real estate use,” Phil Raglin, CEO of Alpha Lease Management, tells GlobeSt.com.

Micro data centers are small. They are essentially smaller versions of a traditional data center, according to Raglin. “These centers resemble school lockers in size rather than large spaces in enormous buildings like typical data centers,” he says. “Micro data centers are scaled down to handle different types of workloads and they are used to tackle issues that traditional data centers aren’t able to take on.”

Micro data center can easily fit into retail or office spaces and provide onsite data solutions for the property. Raglin says that retail stores, for example, can run security systems, cash registers and other data-supporter systems. “They are easily scalable and shorten the distance between the power source and the user. This presents another way to monetize vacant space in the office and retail sectors,” he says.

Similarly, cryptocurrency farms are small facilities used for to store banks of servers. “The banks of servers that generate large amounts of hot air that needs to be removed and replaced by cold air. Crypto farms are ideal for warehouses, small offices or even residential spaces,” says Raglin.

Alpha frequently works with these users to fill vacancies in office and retail properties. “Liaisons like Alpha Lease can help out stakeholders by sourcing equipment to create micro data centers and crypto mining operations, net leasing the space with equipment, and then maintaining and operating it,” says Raglin. “The equipment is owned by the landlord and can be placed in any space with the required utilities and air conditioning to accommodate this use. In fact, equipment may be as small as one quiet server rack hidden away in a mechanical room or other feasible space.”