A former big box store in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be home to a state-of-the-art Microsoft data centre.
According to an application submitted to the City on March 14, the shiny new tech facility would be a two-storey building with a one-storey office/admin and support facility located on the west end of the site.
The proposed building would span over 278,000 sq. ft and take over space currently occupied by a vacant Lowe’s store and its former parking lot at the south-east intersection of highway 401 and Islington Avenue (48 Lowe's Place).
Designed by WZMH Architects (a firm that’s no stranger to designing Canadian data centres), the new Microsoft building would feature energy-efficient elements and be surrounded by 20 emergency backup generators. It will provide equipment and security for servers and offer networking equipment for the ever-growing number of digital businesses.
The forward-thinking building will feature a wellness room, greenery, an outdoor seating area with patio furniture, and a bike parking lot/bike storage. It has proposed just 59 parking spaces. The majority of the washrooms will be unisex, according to plans.
The news comes four years after the tech giant announced it would make the new CIBC Square their Toronto headquarters.
