Canada: Government building in Ontario, Canada to be transformed into a data center

The Norfolk County council building in Ontario, Canada, could be converted into a data center, it has been announced. The building recently sold for CA$725,000 (US$566,000) and spans 12,000 sq ft (1,100 sq ft) on under one acre. 

The announcement of the sale was originally made back in 2020, with the council citing rising upkeep costs as the main driver. The sale, however, was contested by 700 locals in a petition. Now, instead of being centralized in one building, the council will offer “enhanced pop-up services” in both Langton and Port Rowan.

In a statement, it outlined: “The Langton Administration Building will be declared surplus and put up for sale. Norfolk County currently maintains 10 aging administration buildings that are in poor to critical condition. These facilities cost approximately $2.2 million annually to operate and maintain and also will require $7.3m in capital needs over the next ten years. Overall, it is estimated that the 20-year operating and capital costs for 10 administration buildings will total approximately $51.4m.”