AppleInsider reports that while Apple’s Reno, NV data center project was thought to just be in the planning stages, it turns out that the initial piece of the project is just days from going online.
The new data center, located 15 minutes east of Reno at the emerging new Reno Technology Park, will be Apple’s fourth major server farm the United States and the third project the company has built from scratch.
Apple broke ground last October on a parallel project in Prineville, OR. A 338,000 square-foot building is taking shape at that location, with a second, equally large facility planned to join it. That project is expected to double Apple’s iCloud capacity.
As the Reno project site was still being finalized, the company requested permission to begin work on an initial 20,000-square-foot structure to get a jump on the construction project.
Both ends of the long building contain five vents with massive fans to pull air through the building. There appears to be a water chilling system behind the structure.
The initial erection is just off of a highway, behind a hill. The project appears to be nothing but empty land to passersby.
The initial Reno facility is surround by black lamp posts outfitted with cameras, and is staffed with security personnel, although has only basic fencing in place. The simple initial structure is now apparently finished and, according to a person familiar with Apple’s plans, is set to go online in the coming weeks.
345 acres of land surround the building, nearly double the area set aside for the Prineville project. The extra land will allow for expansion of the project, including solar fields.
