Blackstart Digital Acquires Former IBM Site for Sustainable Data Center Development
Data center developer Blackstart Digital has acquired the former IBM Almaden Research Center in South San Jose, California.
The property includes seven buildings with over 500,000 square feet of space within a 35-acre industrial park. The campus still retains features suitable for advanced research and development, startup incubation, academic partnerships, quantum computing, and digital infrastructure.
Blackstart Digital plans to repurpose the site as 'a model for sustainability and safety,' with closed-loop cooling, advanced battery safety systems, noise mitigation, and software to reduce energy consumption during peak demand.
The company aims to bring the campus back online, creating construction and skilled jobs, supporting local businesses, and providing tax revenue for San Jose's general fund. Development plans will undergo environmental review under California's Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and involve a public process with residents and conservation groups.