Australian property developer Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) has officially broken ground on its 49.5 MW data center, Goodman LAX01 Vernon (LAX01), located in Vernon, California. Spanning 5.6 acres, the three-story facility is set to offer 32MW of critical IT capacity once completed. The powered shell of the site is projected to be ready by mid-2026.

Strategic Location and Connectivity

Strategically situated in Vernon, just a short distance from Downtown Los Angeles, Goodman LAX01 is in a prime position for connectivity on the West Coast of the United States.

The site lies only four miles from One Wilshire, one of the most essential network hubs in the region. This proximity provides exceptional low latency, with a Round-Trip Time (RTT) of just 0.35 milliseconds.

Designed with a dual-fed, fully redundant power supply, Goodman LAX01 is also equipped for direct access to a robust ecosystem of fiber carriers and service providers, ensuring seamless, high-performance operations for customers.

Collaborative Effort for Maximum Potential

Since acquiring the site in 2023, Goodman has been collaborating closely with the City of Vernon and its Public Utilities Department to maximize the site's potential for development.

The design of Goodman LAX01 ensures scalability and resilience, making it an ideal solution for hyperscale and colocation customers in the Los Angeles metro area. This facility will provide the additional capacity needed for businesses to grow and thrive in this high-demand market.

Expanding Goodman’s Power Bank in North America

Anthony Rozic, Chief Executive Officer of Goodman North America, emphasized the strategic importance of the project: “Goodman LAX01 Vernon is a great model of the prime characteristics of Goodman’s targeted data centre locations, as we continue to expand our power bank in North America.”

He continued, “Features such as redundant power availability, proximity to critical infrastructure with well-established nodes of fibre networks, construction and technical expertise to enable development, operational jobs and a strong supportive regulatory regime to facilitate business growth – are all evident in our development in the City of Vernon.”

A Key Part of Global Expansion

Greg Goodman, CEO of Goodman Group, also highlighted the significance of the project in the context of the company's broader strategy: “LAX01 continues the build-out of our 5 GW global power bank supported by our strong balance sheet. It’s a key part of the 500 MW program of new projects we expect to commence by June 2026 across North America, Continental Europe, Australia, Japan, and Hong Kong,” he said.

Support From the City of Vernon

The City of Vernon is excited to welcome Goodman’s development, with Mayor Judith Merlo expressing her enthusiasm about the project: “Vernon’s streamlined permitting process, combined with affordable and reliable power, provide the backbone for data centre development.”

She added, “By attracting emerging technologies like data centres, we are strengthening our economy in a way that is forward-thinking.”

Mayor Merlo went on to emphasize the city’s commitment to fostering a dynamic business environment: “Vernon’s evolving business landscape demonstrates our city’s commitment to adapting to a changing economy, while staying true to our legacy as a hub for business and industry.”

“We look forward to our ongoing partnership with Goodman and supporting the growth of the digital economy,” she concluded.

A Leader in Data Center Development

Goodman Group has operations in key consumer markets across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Americas. As the largest property group on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: GMG), Goodman’s data center capabilities have grown rapidly since 2005.

Today, Goodman is a major owner of powered sites globally. The company’s 5.0 GW power bank includes completed facilities, secured power, and potential data center projects across 13 major international cities. With a continued focus on expansion, Goodman Group aims to solidify its position as a leader in the global data center sector.

Growth and Future Prospects

Goodman’s commitment to expanding its data center presence is evident in its aggressive growth plans. The company aims to develop new data centers in key international markets, with a pipeline that includes both completed facilities and those in development. This expansion is expected to serve a wide range of customers, from hyperscale operators to colocation tenants, and further strengthen Goodman’s global footprint in the data center industry.

As digital demand continues to soar, Goodman Group’s expansion of data center infrastructure, including the LAX01 facility in Vernon, will be vital to supporting the growing needs of the global digital economy.

Originally reported by Matthew Giannelis in Tech Business News,