Digital Realty Trust Buys 160-Acre Site in Charlotte

A prominent Charlotte developer has cashed in on the AI-driven boom for data centers, selling 160 acres on the city’s west side to a Texas outfit that specializes in the speciality segment.

Graeme Keith and his Keith Corp. sold the site located at 12899 Moores Chapel Road to Austin-based Digital Realty, the Charlotte Business Journal reported.

The 155-acre property sold for $160 million, the outlet said, citing Mecklenburg County real estate records.

The site is about 12 miles west of downtown Charlotte, and its location offers easy access to Interstate 85, U.S. Route 74 and Interstate 485. It’s also just five miles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The acquisition marks a strategic addition to Digital Realty’s portfolio, which includes over 300 data centers across more than 55 metropolitan areas globally.

In Charlotte, Digital Realty currently operates a three-story, 29,200-square-foot data center facility, at 113 North Myers Street in Uptown.

Though the firm hasn’t shared specific plans for the Moores Chapel Road site, the purchase suggests the company is looking to expand its presence in the region.

North Carolina is already a booming hub for data center projects.

In September, PowerHouse Data Centers and Town Lane purchased 122 acres off University City Boulevard in northeast Charlotte for $45.5 million, with plans for a 2.5 million-square-foot data center campus. The future facility, PowerHouse Charlotte, will be able to produce 300 megawatts of power by April 2027. The five-building facility will be able to scale up to 500 megawatts.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has also made similar investments in the state. It’s building three data centers in Catawba County and recently purchased a 1,350-acre megasite in Person County.

— Andrew Terrell