Edged US has reached a major construction milestone at its Chicago-area campus in Aurora, Illinois, completing the structural framework of its second data center at the site and moving closer to delivering another large block of AI-focused computing capacity to a market already hungry for it.

A Fully Pre-Leased Facility Built for AI Workloads

The topping out of the second data center at 2835 Bilter Road in Aurora marks the completion of the building's structural framework, a ceremonial and practical milestone that Edged US leaders, project partners, and construction teams gathered onsite this week to recognize.

The facility is purpose-built to support high-density AI training and inference workloads and will deliver 72 megawatts of critical capacity once operational.

The company said the facility is already fully pre-leased, signaling strong advance demand from hyperscale and enterprise customers before the building is even finished.

Construction is being carried out in partnership with FCL Builders, and the facility is on track to become operational in the second quarter of 2027.

Recently, Edged US Secures $2 Billion for US Data Center Expansion, to expand there operations across the U.S

Waterless Cooling at the Center of the Design

One of the defining features of the new facility is its closed-loop, waterless cooling technology, powered by systems from ThermalWorks.

Unlike conventional data centers that rely on evaporative cooling methods drawing heavily on local water supplies, the Edged design operates without consuming water for cooling purposes.

The company projects that this approach will conserve more than 277 million gallons of water annually compared to traditional data center cooling methods.

Water consumption has become an increasingly scrutinized dimension of data center operations, particularly as facilities grow larger and more energy-intensive to support AI workloads.

Edged US said the Edged Chicago campus is specifically optimized for both energy efficiency and water conservation, and cited a portfolio-wide average design power usage effectiveness of 1.15, a figure the company describes as industry-leading.

The Chicago Campus Takes Shape

The second facility joins the first, which opened on the same Aurora campus in February 2025. Together, the two buildings form a growing campus on the western edge of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Aurora is the second-largest city in Illinois, and the company described it as a growing technology hub in the Chicagoland region.

Mitch Fonseca, Chief Operating Officer of Edged US, said the milestone reflects the company's broader ambitions in the region and the performance of its construction partnerships.

"As demand for AI infrastructure accelerates, speed, efficiency, and sustainability must advance together," Fonseca said.

"Reaching this milestone in Aurora reflects the strength of our partnerships, the dedication of our construction teams, and our commitment to delivering high-performance infrastructure designed for the future of compute. We're proud to continue investing in the Chicago region with infrastructure that supports innovation while dramatically reducing environmental impact."

Aurora as Part of a Larger North American Expansion

The Aurora campus is one node in what Edged US describes as a gigawatt-scale platform expanding across North America.

The company's current footprint of sustainable, AI-ready data centers spans markets including Atlanta, Columbus, Council Bluffs, Dallas, Des Moines, Kansas City, and Phoenix, in addition to the Chicago area.

The company also noted a forthcoming expansion into France.

Edged US said its facilities are built primarily to serve major hyperscale cloud companies, technology providers, and large enterprises requiring infrastructure optimized for high-performance compute and inference workloads.

Community Engagement in Aurora

Beyond the construction activity itself, Edged US said it has continued to support local organizations and community initiatives in the Aurora area throughout the building process.

The company cited partnerships with Hesed House, an Aurora-based nonprofit, and other community programs as part of its ongoing engagement with the region where its campus is located.