How do you select the right site for a data center? Kris McGee walks through the criteria, market dynamics, and investment thesis.
On this episode, I sit down with Kris McGee to unpack site selection and what really drives billion-dollar data center decisions.
Big Tech is on the move:
- Elon Musk’s xAI just secured 1,000,000 ft² in Memphis
- Microsoft and Amazon are locking down land across North Carolina
From massive power demands to water for cooling, you’ll learn why there’s no one-size-fits-all playbook in this space. Robots and AI need a home too—and data centers are quickly becoming one of the most critical (and competitive) real estate asset classes.
We also dive into the wild pricing spreads Kris has tracked in North Carolina:
- $960,784/acre (Charlotte metro, Digital Realty)
- $42,000/acre (Catawba County, Microsoft)
- $19,000/acre (Person County, Microsoft)
That’s a 50x difference inside one state. For comparison, Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” averages $2M+ per acre.
If you’re curious where the next wave of data center investment is headed—and what it means for real estate—this episode breaks it down.
Kris's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krismcgee
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Carson Jones
Carson Jones is the host of Carson's Corner, author of The Red Flag Playbook, a licensed commercial real estate advisor and business broker, and the founder of Passive Investments. He works with high-net-worth individuals, family offices, business owners, and sophisticated investors as a broker and principal.