Data Center Construction in Forney, Texas

Proof that a facility works is the product an owner pays for, and in Forney we organize each project around the test that delivers it. We plan acceptance from the first design meeting: what the owner needs to see, which systems must be proven under load, which failures must be simulated and who signs. The construction schedule is then drawn backward from that final integrated test, so the time for commissioning is built in and protected.

Forney is a distribution town. A 1,272,240-square-foot center with 40-foot clear height at Highway 80 and Gateway Boulevard was announced in December 2021 with groundbreaking planned for early 2022, and an e-commerce fulfillment center expected to bring 500 jobs was planned, following a 200,000-square-foot station for last-mile deliveries. A tire maker's 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center on 102 acres, announced in 2018, was expected to add up to 160 positions.

Those operators run automation, warehouse systems, security and networks that cannot go down in peak season, and they need compact, reliable computing rooms near their buildings. Developers of speculative buildings are part of the picture too, and real estate developers and site owners ask us how to leave space and power for a future tenant's technology room. Some tenants want enterprise halls on the property, some are colocation suites in a nearby facility, and some are edge rooms at the dock. We build and commission all three.

Our scope for a distribution operator typically includes a hardened network and server room inside or beside the building, power from a protected feed with a generator and battery backup, cooling sized to the load, fire protection that suits the equipment, and security. Some owners also want a second room in a nearby colocation building for recovery.

We pair data hall fit-out with a documented acceptance plan. Power is tested from the utility service through switchgear, generators, transfer switches, batteries and distribution to the rack. Cooling is tested from the plant through piping and air handlers to the room. Fire detection, leak sensing, access control and monitoring are tested along with them. Every system has a test script, every script has a witness and every result goes into a turnover binder that the owner's IT and facilities teams both use.

In a million-square-foot distribution building, the network room may be hundreds of feet from the farthest dock or conveyor. Cable routes, fiber distribution closets and wireless coverage must be planned together, with dust, forklift traffic and ceiling height in mind. We locate the main room in a protected area away from truck traffic and loading doors, and plan generator fuel access around the facility's yard rules.

Distribution buildings also run at night and in peak season, which limits shutdowns. Cutover plans are rehearsed, and tie-ins into live systems are scheduled in advance with the operator's team. The first integrated test is run before the operations peak, and a second test is repeated after any change to power or cooling equipment. Spare parts for critical items, such as controllers and fans, are identified and stocked before turnover.

U.S. Route 80 runs through Forney as a four-lane, limited-access highway about 20 miles from Dallas to the west and about 11 miles from Terrell to the east, and the lake to the northwest is about four miles away. That means trade partners and equipment reach the city easily, and emergency response for a critical room is predictable. Maintenance technicians can also reach a critical room within a predictable drive time, which we count in the service plan.

We coordinate Forney work with projects in Mesquite and Garland, where an owner may hold recovery space, and with Dallas facilities that serve as carrier hubs.

Several services shorten turnover. Integrated systems commissioning proves the full facility together. Design-build delivery keeps design and construction in one contract, which reduces handoff errors. Administration and security buildings add a controlled entry point for staff and vendors.

Each one is offered inside a single plan or as a separate package. For a distribution owner with several buildings, we can repeat one proven room design and test script, so the second and third rooms go faster and the operations staff learns one standard.

We start with the outcome. The owner states the uptime target, the failure scenarios that matter and the staff who will run the room. We translate those statements into test scripts and a schedule, then check that the design can actually be tested: that valves, breakers and bypasses exist, that load banks can connect and that the building management system reports what the operators need.

During construction we run level-by-level tests from factory witness through integrated systems, log every deficiency and close it. We also keep a written risk register that lists each open design question, utility request and equipment delay, with an owner and a due date for every line, and it is reviewed at every progress meeting. At turnover we train the owner's staff on the rooms they will operate, deliver documents in a clear structure and return for a review after the first operating season. We schedule, coordinate and inspect the trade partners throughout, so the owner deals with one project team.

Tell us the uptime target and the failure scenarios that matter. We will return a commissioning plan, a room concept and a schedule that protects the time for testing.

How much time should be set aside for commissioning?

On a mid-size project, plan weeks for the integrated tests alone, plus time for earlier levels. The schedule depends on equipment, the owner's witness availability and the number of retests. We build the time into the master schedule and defend it.

Why do distribution operators need their own computing rooms?

Automation, inventory systems, security cameras and network gear need a protected home with backup power and cooling. A rack in an office closet is vulnerable to dust, heat and power events. A properly built room prevents outages.

Can the room be tested without shutting down the warehouse?

Most of it, yes. Failure tests can be run on the new room before it takes over production. Cutover is the one step that needs a planned window, and we rehearse it in advance.

What is included in the turnover package?

As-built drawings, test records, equipment manuals, spare parts lists, warranty documents, training records and a maintenance plan. We organize them by system.

Can you build a recovery room in a different building?

Yes. We can fit out a suite in a colocation building and connect it to the primary room with diverse fiber paths. We test failover between the two sites before turnover.