How the McClure School builds talent for the data center boom

The concentration of data centers in central Ohio, particularly New Albany, creates significant opportunities for skilled graduates. This area became a hub not by chance, but through long-term strategic planning. 

“I think the number one thing that we believe is the testament to our success is that we are a strategically-planned community,” said Jackie Russell, an economic development specialist for the City of New Albany. This planning spans over two decades, designating specific areas for commercial use, which protects company investments and smooths the development path. 

New Albany operates under a unique structure where zoning, planning, building, engineering and economic development all fall under one Community Development Department director.  

“Our department, the Community Development Department, houses all five of those things under one director,” Russell explained. “So the same people who are negotiating a tax incentive or an agreement with the company to locate here report to the same person that oversees the building and the zoning and engineering. And so it allows us to permit faster”.  

Adding to this, Sara Zeigler, an economic development manager for the City of New Albany, talked about the efficiency of this integrated approach.  

“When we meet with new companies, the people discussing land and incentives are at the same table and at the same time as those handling zoning and building requirements,” Zeigler said. “Everyone involved from the beginning stays involved, which really streamlines the process. It’s part of our secret sauce.” 

This integrated approach allows the city to deliver projects quickly and efficiently, often 25% faster than neighboring communities, Russell said. 

This success breeds further success, attracting both “hyperscalers” like AWS and Google that use the facilities for their own data, and “colocation” or “colo” providers like QTS and Vantage that rent out data center space.

It’s important to note that the landscape for these large-scale projects is dynamic. Recently, Microsoft announced revisions to its build schedule for planned data center development in the New Albany International Business Park. 

“The City of New Albany has been informed by Microsoft that it is revising its build schedule for the planned data center development within the New Albany International Business Park,” said Sloan Spalding, the mayor of New Albany. “We understand that large-scale projects like this require flexibility, and we appreciate Microsoft’s continued engagement with the city throughout this process.”