Carter Validus, a US real estate investment trust focused on mission critical properties, has bought a second data center occupied by AT&T for about US$110m. The telco will continue occupying the facility as a tenant, located in Brentwood, Tennessee (just outside of Nashville).

The company announced acquisition of its first AT&T data center in October. That facility – also acquired through a sale-leaseback transaction – is located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and cost the REIT $52m.

Michael Seton, Carter Validus president and CEO, said, “This acquisition continues to reinforce our commitment to purchase high quality, mission critical real estate leased to creditworthy tenants in strategic markets throughout the United States.”

The data center serves as AT&T's main communications hub for the Tennessee and Kentucky regions. It has more than 103,000 sq ft of raised floor and 75,000 sq ft of mechanical space, with the remainder used for engineering and support functions.

Kansas City, Missouri-based Carter Validus has been expanding through acquisition of data centers and medical facilities around the US since 2001. Today, it owns 12 data centers (including the two recently acquired AT&T facilities) and 20 healthcare properties.