Switch Files Plans For Data Center Campus At Former Pittsburgh Race Track

Switch has filed plans for a new three-building data center campus in Big Beaver Borough, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The proposed Big Beaver Data Center/Switch Pit 01-03 will feature three facilities, each covering 201,690 sq ft (18,737 sqm). Planning documents indicate a combined backup generator capacity of 270MW. Construction could begin as early as January 2028, with all three buildings expected to be operational by January 2030. The project will also include a new FirstEnergy switching station connected to existing 345kV transmission lines at the site.

Big Beaver, in Beaver County, is located around 40 miles (64km) northwest of Pittsburgh near the Ohio state border. Switch first announced plans for a 382-acre data center campus in Big Beaver in May, but did not initially provide detailed information about the project. The site, formerly home to the Pitt International Race Complex in Wampum, was acquired by Provident affiliate Wampum I LLC from BeaveRun Founders Development LLC in April. Switch has since taken ownership of the property.

The 2.779-mile (4.473km) BeaveRun Motorsports Complex opened in 2002 before being acquired by Jim and Kathy Stout in 2011 and renamed the Pitt International Race Complex. The 400-acre site hosted amateur and professional racing events until the Stouts announced its closure in October 2025. Founded in 2000, Switch operates Prime data center campuses in Texas, Nevada, Michigan, and Georgia, while continuing to expand existing sites and develop new campuses. DigitalBridge and IFM Investors took Switch private for $11 billion in 2022. Aware Super later invested $500 million in 2023, while Switch is reportedly preparing for another IPO.