SDN Communications' new data center northwest of Sioux Falls boasts 12-inch concrete walls, three layers of roofing, no windows and the latest in security measures. The bunker-like facility at 5300 N. La Mesa Drive is built to deliver network uptime for private businesses, government agencies and non-profits.
SDN provides business-class broadband services to banks, health care, education, government and emergency services. Those industries use SDN because of its 99.999 percent uptime, but SDN has been working to ensure even more uptime protection by mirroring its network equipment at a second site. That way if something happens to SDN's main building the network could be reassembled at the second site.
SDN wanted the project at least five miles from its main office and it worked with weather experts to determine prevailing storm patterns in relation to its central Sioux Falls location. It also located the facility on North La Mesa Drive for diverse electrical service. Sioux Valley Energy serves the new site; Xcel Energy provides service to SDN's main building in central Sioux Falls.
During planning SDN discovered interest by other companies for a highly-protected data space. To maximize its investment, SDN constructed the project with two additional data rooms for tenants. Plus, this first 25,000 square foot facility could be just the first of four phases totaling 100,000 square feet.
"This is exactly the kind of economic development Sioux Falls has targeted. We're pleased that SDN, as a home-grown company, can help Sioux Falls meet that goal," said SDN CEO Mark Shlanta.
The $8 million building will be outfitted with $4 million in telecommunications equipment. The construction financing is unique in that the federal stimulus program made SDN eligible for Minnehaha County's bonding authority which offered lower interest rate. Plus, it is Minnehaha County's first fully-implemented Tax Increment Financing project, allowing SDN to use its increased taxes to reimburse itself for public improvements that will help spur future development around the site.
"Although we started this project at a difficult economic time, SDN was fortunate to benefit from low interest and construction costs, not to mention a Minnehaha County Commission that was very supportive of getting this project off the ground," Shlanta said.
About SDN Communications - SDN is a coalition of South Dakota's independent telephone companies - cooperatives, family, municipal, and tribal-owned companies. They joined their independent networks in 1989 and created SDN as a hub to deliver long distance choice to the telephone companies' largely rural customer base. Today that same statewide fiber footprint allows file sharing and Internet traffic for business and government. In fact, SDN provides Internet not only to South Dakota state government offices, but also to all public K-12 schools and state universities. Its network now reaches into eight states serving businesses in many sectors, but specializing in banking, health care, manufacturing, government and education. SDN also offers telephone systems, cabling infrastructure, networking equipment and network surveillance.
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