The second phase of engineering to support the electrical systems for a 315,000-sq-ft data center facility on Chicago’s Near South Side has begun, developer JRM Technology LLC announced.

The design and construction team is now working with Commonwealth Edison to finalize engineering for the data center’s significant power needs, moving the project forward, says James R. McHugh, JRM Technology’s principal.

The facility, to be located at 111 E. Cermak Road, will be the first structure in downtown Chicago designed and built specifically as a data center, McHugh says.

To meet data storage energy demands, it will be powered by a potential of 40 megawatts of electricity serviced by two separate ComEd substations.

James McHugh Construction Co. is the design-build contractor, with ESD Inc. as lead architect/engineer, Archideas the consulting architect and CS Associates Inc. as structural engineer.

The building will be located at the southeast corner of Cermak Road and Indiana Avenue, two blocks from 350 East Cermak Road, the 1.1 million-sq-ft data center site in the former RR Donnelly printing plant.

The new center’s location helps ensure a large amount of fiber providers with high-volume and low-latency fiber optic lines, McHugh says.

JRM Technology plans to seek Gold level LEED Certification.

Sustainable features planned for the building include a green roof and fresh air cooling, with many other green aspects to be finalized during the design phase. Tenant-friendly features will include redundant power sourcing and stringent security.

The six-story building will include 140,000 sq ft of raised floor area.

Preliminary plans call for a reinforced concrete structure with 18-ft ceiling heights, heavy floor loading, space for full generator backups and heavy-duty, high-efficiency cooling systems.