Seattle-based Sabey Corporation has announced that it plans to build a state-of-the-art data center in Douglas County.

At more than 100,000 square feet, the new facility will have the flexibility to house either a single large user or multiple tenants, according to the company’s Senior Vice President of Real Estate John Sabey. This new data center will provide an important economic development opportunity for the region.

“This will be a significant construction project and create 30-50 new family-wage jobs in the area, Sabey said. “The jobs created and the additional tax base generated represent opportunities for current residents to benefit from the wise investments the area has made in utility and communication infrastructure.

“We’re also looking forward to working with community leaders to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce a number of the leading Internet commerce and technology firms to the advantages of North Central Washington, Sabey added.

The data center, tentatively named Intergate.Columbia, is expected to cost up to $100 million to construct and to be completed and operational by late 2007 or early 2008.

The center will purchase its power from Douglas County Public Utility District (PUD), which recently approved a service contract for up to 30MW of electricity. “Douglas County Public Utility District was very helpful throughout this process and will be instrumental in the success of this project. Sabey said.

Sabey Corp. is exploring the potential to install an advanced thermal recovery system that would capture some of the heat generated by the data center’s computers for reuse, offering a secondary industry an opportunity on the site Sabey plans to locate Intergate.Columbia on 30 acres near Pangborn Field. The company has a purchase option on the land, which has already been zoned for a business park, with the Battermann family. Terms of the planned purchase were not disclosed.

Attractive power rates and very competitive land costs were two of the key factors in the company’s decision to locate in Douglas County, according to Sabey. He also cited the area’s geological stability, good transportation links to high tech centers throughout the Western US, a solid and intelligent workforce, and a high quality of life for data center employees. Earlier this year, Microsoft and Yahoo purchased land in Grant County for their own data centers.

“We see North Central Washington as a very logical extension of our data center business, Sabey said. “We’re a long-time Northwest family and a long-time Northwest company, and we’re looking to be a part of East Wenatchee and the greater Wenatchee area for a long time as well.

Sabey Corporation has built and currently operates some of the largest data centers in the country, including Seattle’s 76-acre Intergate technology campus, one of the nation’s largest multi-tenant Internet complexes, along with other past operations in Los Angeles and Denver.