AI-led demand fuels surge in data‑centre construction from Denver to global markets

The data‑centre sector is entering a pronounced expansion phase as accelerating artificial‑intelligence workloads and record vendor revenues translate into fresh construction activity across regional markets.

Nvidia’s announcement in late February that quarterly data‑centre revenue reached $62.3 billion — a 75% year‑on‑year increase — has become a bellwether for the industry, underscoring how AI compute demand is driving demand for server capacity, power and purpose‑built facilities. The hardware boom is filtering down to the construction pipeline: industry sources and market summaries cite a forthcoming surge in data‑centre construction, with major land plays and capacity builds under way.

Denver is emerging as a focal point. Global AI has revealed plans to develop a data‑centre on the former Kodak property outside Denver, with a potential first phase launch later in 2026. The project joins other recent moves to expand site capacity in the Colorado market — notably a joint venture formed in 2024 between infrastructure investor Stonepeak and American Tower to build a Denver data centre, and a mention of CoreSite’s DE3 Denver facility in industry reporting. Local colocation provider Fortrust is also expanding its Denver footprint, adding 33,000 sq ft of colocation space and increasing raised‑floor capacity to more than 80,000 sq ft.

Those clustered projects reflect larger trends documented in industry snapshots such as ConstructConnect’s reports, which have highlighted data‑centre space and related manufacturing/industrial starts in recent years. Long‑running campus builds — including references to Switch’s large data‑centre campus (Project Hoover) in construction databases — show that both hyperscale and wholesale providers continue to move large, campus‑scale projects through planning and construction phases.

Outside Colorado, the construction rhythm is picking up across the US. Overwatch Capital and Japan’s Idemitsu have agreed to develop 1GW of data‑centre capacity in the United States, with the first two projects planned for Texas and Ohio. Meanwhile, DataBank’s completed expansion in Irvine, California — closed out in 2023 — is one example of continued expansion in regional markets serving West Coast customers.

Global expansion is also visible. Thailand’s Board of Investment has approved two additional large data‑centre projects, signaling continued government‑backed capacity growth in Southeast Asia. Industry publications are documenting regional leaders and market movers — such as Data Centre Magazine’s January 2026 “Top 10: Data Centre Companies in Canada” feature — while event calendars and media consolidation (including the combination of TechTarget and Informa Tech’s digital businesses) point to a maturing, better‑connected sector.

Yet supply‑chain constraints could temper near‑term delivery. Industry coverage has highlighted an emerging shortage of high‑bandwidth memory (HBM), a critical component for AI‑optimised servers and accelerators. Equipment availability and lead times for AI‑capable systems may become key variables for project schedules and tenant deployments — factors that construction teams and owners will need to manage alongside traditional challenges such as power availability, permitting and local infrastructure.

In Colorado, infrastructure and regulatory considerations are part of the calculus. ConstructConnect’s reporting has referenced the Colorado Department of Transportation in wider construction snapshots, underscoring how local authorities, utilities and transport infrastructure influence site selection and project timelines.

Market platforms and gatherings will play a role in shaping the next 12–18 months. DCD Connect | New York 2026 is scheduled for 23–24 March 2026, providing a convening point for owners, developers, vendors and contractors to address technical, logistical and commercial questions as the construction cycle accelerates.

Outlook: With record vendor revenues and committed capacity builds across multiple states and regions, the industry looks set for a period of intensified construction activity. Developers and owners will be balancing rapid demand for AI‑capable capacity with supply‑chain pressures around components such as HBM, while local infrastructure, permitting and skilled labour remain pivotal to timely delivery. If current announcements materialize, the next wave of data‑centre construction will reshape regional digital infrastructure — from Denver’s industrial corridors to hyperscale campuses across the US and Asia.