When you think of Portland, you might think of coffeehouses or the infamous Pacific Northwest rain. But did you know Portland is also quickly becoming a technology hub with a flourishing economy and countless new opportunities for innovation?

This very fact is one of the reasons LinkedIn has decided to build its newest data center in Hillsboro, a suburb just outside of Portland. With existing data center sites in Virginia and Texas, this new west-coast site will allow LinkedIn to achieve their goal of establishing data centers in varied regions across the United States.

Additionally, this location enables LinkedIn to have direct access to green power. For 200 days out of the year the data center will utilize free cooling, reducing their overall energy usage. The location will also allow LinkedIn to explore new options for renewable energy and sustainable sourcing, leading to the company’s ultimate goal of 100 percent renewable energy usage.

So why the need for another data center? In the last year, LinkedIn’s storage and processing needs have increased by 34 percent. Working to stay ahead of this rapidly growing demand, LinkedIn is adding more capacity in order to maintain the consistent and reliable service LinkedIn members are expecting.

Construction of the data center will be completed in two phases. Phase 1, the build-out of data hall space for LinkedIn in an existing STACK INFRASTRUCTURE colocation facility, is comprised of 15,000 sq. ft. of white space and 3,000 sq. ft. of ancillary space. This will be DPR’s second time working in this facility, with the first time being in 2012 for Fortune Data Centers (now known as STACK INFRASTRUCTURE).

Phase 2 is the construction of a new 100,000-sq.-ft. data center shell, 15,000 sq. ft. of which is confirmed for LinkedIn. Once both phases are complete, STACK INFRASTRUCTURE's entire facility will be served by 16 MW of IT Critical Power.

Due to LinkedIn’s rapid growth and need for quick deployments, fast-track delivery is crucial for this design-build project. Even with the record-breaking amount of rainfall the area is experiencing, the project team remains confident in their scheduled completion dates.

LinkedIn’s latest data center will go online late 2016.

The LinkedIn Data Center Services team breaking ground on the new facility in Hillsboro, OR with the help of the STACK INFRASTRUCTURE team and the Mayor of Hillsboro.