Datacenter Planned for Grayslake

When you think of Grayslake, Illinois, you might picture its charming downtown, beautiful lakes, or the annual summer festival. But soon, this Lake County community will be home to something that’s reshaping how we think about suburban development: a massive, next-generation data center campus that’s being designed from the ground up to power the artificial intelligence revolution.

The T5@Chicago IV project isn’t just another warehouse filled with servers. We’re talking about:

• 1.2 gigawatt IT capacity spread across a 20-building campus – that’s enough power to run a small city
• 1.6GW of secured utility power backing the entire operation, ensuring this facility is being built to never skip a beat
• Electricity is equivalent to the power of roughly 900,000 homes, all humming away to process the data that makes our digital lives possible

The timeline is ambitious yet realistic. Phase 1 is set to go live in Q4 2027, with the campus continuing to expand through 2028 and beyond. It’s the kind of project that transforms a region’s economic landscape overnight, yet takes years of careful planning to execute properly.

The Developer: T5 Data Centers

Behind this ambitious project is T5 Data Centers, a company that’s been quietly building the backbone of the internet for years. They’re not new to the Chicago area – in fact, they’ve been establishing data centers throughout the region, earning a reputation for delivering projects on time and built to last.

What makes T5 particularly interesting is their strategic vision: Grayslake isn’t just another project for them; it’s one of five gigawatt-scale campuses they’re developing across the United States.

Think of T5 as the master architects of the digital age. While most of us never think about where our Netflix streams or Instagram photos actually live, companies like T5 are building the physical infrastructure that makes our cloud-based world possible. Moreover, their track record speaks volumes – they’ve successfully developed and operated data centers that serve everyone from Fortune 500 companies to cutting-edge AI startups.

Why Grayslake? Strategic Location and Local Benefits

Central Position in Lake County

Location, as they say in real estate, is everything. Grayslake sits in a sweet spot that data center developers dream about. Positioned almost perfectly between Chicago and Milwaukee, it offers something that downtown locations can’t: space to grow, combined with proximity to major metropolitan areas.

The nearby highways create logistics corridors that make equipment delivery and employee commutes remarkably efficient:

• Routes 120 and 45
• Easy access to I-94

Furthermore, the campus will be nestled within the Cornerstone of Grayslake business park, an area that’s been gradually transforming from rural farmland into a modern commercial hub. It’s fascinating to watch this evolution – where corn once grew, fiber optic cables will soon carry terabytes of data every second.

Favorable Infrastructure and Zoning

Here’s where Grayslake really shines. The village has been forward-thinking about development, with land already zoned for data center use. This isn’t a case of trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole – the infrastructure groundwork has been laid.

The enhanced utility infrastructure includes:

• Plans for onsite substations providing redundant power
• Multiple power sources ensuring 99.999% availability
• Guaranteed uptime that modern businesses demand

When your business depends on this level of availability, having multiple power sources isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.

Local Workforce and Educational Support

Perhaps the most exciting aspect for local residents is the workforce development opportunity. The College of Lake County, just minutes away, has been expanding its IT and cybersecurity programs in anticipation of projects like this.

We’re not just talking about a few security guard positions – modern data centers need:

• Network engineers
• HVAC specialists
• Electrical technicians
• Cybersecurity experts

These are careers that can transform families’ economic futures, offering salaries well above the regional median.

Additionally, the economic development partnerships being forged between T5, local educational institutions, and the village government are creating genuine career pathways for residents. It’s refreshing to see a major development that’s thinking beyond just the construction phase to the long-term community impact.

Technical and Environmental Features

High-Capacity, AI-Ready Infrastructure

The technical specifications of this facility read like a wish list for tech companies. Buildings will offer flexible options ranging from powered shell configurations to fully turnkey data center operations.

What does this mean in practical terms? Companies can essentially choose their level of customization – from bringing in their own equipment to having T5 handle everything.

The AI-ready design is particularly noteworthy. Traditional data centers weren’t built for the intensive computational demands of artificial intelligence and machine learning. In contrast, this facility is being designed from day one to handle:

• Massive parallel processing that AI requires
• Cooling systems engineered for high-density computing
• Power distribution optimized for intensive computational demands

Efficient Utility Power and Sustainability

The 1.6GW onsite ComEd substation isn’t just impressive in scale – it represents a new approach to data center power management. The supporting switchyards and redundant systems ensure that even if one power source fails, the facility keeps running without interruption.

Moreover, T5 has also committed to exploring sustainable energy options, recognizing that the data centers of the future need to balance computational power with environmental responsibility.

Economic Impact on the Region

The ripple effects of this development will be felt throughout Lake County. Commercial real estate values in the area are already beginning to reflect the anticipated growth, with ancillary businesses – from restaurants to specialized technical services – eyeing Grayslake as a destination for expansion.

Illinois and Lake County have rolled out competitive tax incentives for data center operations, recognizing that attracting these facilities means attracting the broader ecosystem of technology companies that follow. As a result, this positions Grayslake not just as another suburb, but as a legitimate player in the Midwest’s growing reputation as a data hub.

Looking Forward

The phased development approach is smart and sustainable. Phase 1’s three buildings, each with 60MW capacity, will be operational by late 2027. This isn’t a “build it and hope they come” situation – T5 is already in discussions with potential tenants who are eager for this kind of facility in the Midwest.

The long-term vision of 20 buildings means incremental job creation over years, not a boom-and-bust cycle. Furthermore, the ongoing collaboration between T5, local government, educational institutions, and the business community suggests a model for how major infrastructure projects can benefit everyone involved.