At the beginning of May, CRG West and The Carlyle Group announced the acquisition of two new carrier-neutral data centers - 427 LaSalle in Chicago and the 70 Innerbelt in Boston. The acquisition of strategic properties in the Midwest, and along the Eastern Seaboard, expands CRG West's national footprint and allows CRG West to meet the demand for high-quality colocation space throughout the country.
70 Innerbelt is located at 70 Innerbelt Road in Somerville, Massachusetts and is less than two miles from downtown Boston and Cambridge. The 276,000 square-foot building boasts outstanding power capabilities, ceiling heights exceeding sixteen feet and exceptional floorloading capabilities. The facility enables CRG West to offer more than 170,000 square feet of colocation space in phased construction and is expected to open in the third quarter of 2007.
Upon opening, 70 Innerbelt will be ideally suited to accommodate regional universities, financial services firms and enterprises demanding data center space capable of handling high-density server applications. With a robust set of tier-1 and tier-2 carriers already providing diverse fiber routes into the facility, customers of 70 Innerbelt will have the infrastructure and access to Boston's primary metro fiber routes. Additionally, the installation of first-class electrical and cooling infrastructure will provide the equipment efficiency and density demanded by today's enterprises.

In Chicago, 427 has been a central point for communications in the central US since 1916. The facility is situated across from One Financial Plaza and adjacent to the Chicago Board of Trade. Having undergone renovations in the late 1990s, the facility will undergo additional renovations to add 6MW of emergency back-up power, and provide nearly 50,000 square feet of newly conditioned space in phased construction capable of handling high-density server and enterprise applications on a local, regional and international level. Located in the South Loop of the Chicago Central Business District, customers will enjoy excellent access to service providers. CRG West's colocation offering will provide reliable infrastructure and outstanding interconnection opportunities for companies throughout greater Chicago and the Midwest.
"First-class data center space with a robust selection of carriers and service providers has become scarce in the Chicago area during a time of accelerated industry demand. 427 LaSalle will offer a tremendous supply of valuable carriers and enterprises supporting data center space paired with economical interconnection options. The facility will deliver to a demanding market, much-needed supply and will expand our successful Meet-Me Room and colocation-services business model, added David Dunn, senior vice president, CRG West.
The addition of these facilities to the CRG West portfolio continues the trend of growth for CRG West which now owns and operates over 2 million square feet of carrier hotel and data center facilities in eight locations in the strategic markets of Los Angeles, San Jose, Chicago, Boston, Miami and Washington, D.C.