Sabey Data Centers raised the first structural steel at SDC Umatilla on July 15, moving its Northeast Oregon data center campus from site preparation into vertical construction. The ceremony brought together state and local officials, utility partners, contractors, designers and Sabey executives.
Sabey’s current plans call for more than 120 MW of aggregate campus power. The development schedule targets core-and-shell completion in 2026, the first 9 MW data hall in 2027 and a second 9 MW hall in 2028, followed by two additional halls and a second building beginning in 2029. Sabey projects an annualized power usage effectiveness of 1.25.
Located in the Columbia River Cloud Corridor, SDC Umatilla will serve hyperscale, enterprise and colocation customers. The campus combines access to regional hydropower with closed-loop cooling, support for high-density liquid cooling and diverse fiber routes; Sabey currently identifies Zayo and Windwave as carriers at the site.
• Construction milestone: First structural steel raised July 15, 2026
• Planned campus power: More than 120 MW
• Initial capacity: First 9 MW data hall targeted for 2027
• Efficiency target: 1.25 projected annualized PUE
• Cooling: Closed-loop system with options for high-density liquid cooling
• Connectivity: Zayo, Windwave and diverse regional fiber routes
• Location: Approximately 200 miles (322 km) from Hillsboro, Oregon
“Watching the first steel go up is always a significant moment because it turns years of planning, engineering and hard work into something you can finally see,” said Tim Mirick, President of Sabey Data Centers. “We are excited to build here, excited to become part of this community, and committed to serving our customers and this region for many years to come.”
🌐 Analysis: The milestone advances Sabey’s expansion along the Columbia River power and fiber corridor, where AI capacity planning increasingly depends on securing large power blocks, water-efficient cooling and routes to Pacific Northwest interconnection hubs. Sabey now lists more than 120 MW at Umatilla, versus the 100 MW plan announced in 2023, while staging initial customer capacity in 9 MW increments.
