The developers that want to buy the vacant Hynix site inwest Eugene envision transforming it into a tech hub on the hill — a US$100 million investment with up to 600 employees. They want to bring the huge computer-chip plant back to life as a pulsating data centre, filled with computers, servers and networking equipment for customers all over the country.

They want to fill the six-story office building north of the plant with businesses that use or support the data centre, and accommodate additional users, as needed, by further developing the 200-acre site. “My intent is to create a tech think tank with some R&D space; we’re going to need data centre space to support it,” said Simon Tusha, one of the development partners in the potential Hynix project. A data centre expert, Tusha said he has been involved with more than 1,000 data centre projects, including as a former strategic negotiator for Google. Tusha, along with developer Mike McKernan, sole member of Seattle-based Real Property Investors, and other unnamed development partners, have a contract to buy the Hynix facility for an undisclosed price.

Source: Register Guard