CorscaleMidwest Digital Gateway

An energy efficient data center in Canton, Ohio

Not all data centers are created equal. Done the right way, data centers can serve as the scaffolding for future community prosperity. Corscale is developing Midwest Digital Gateway in the City of Canton, a community shaped for more than a century by steel, heavy manufacturing and energy.

The campus is a small footprint on its site, which allows for substantial setbacks with the buildings located toward the interior of the property to help reduce impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods. Corscale is building Midwest Digital Gateway responsibly, and in close coordination with the City of Canton.

Start HereImpact by The Numbers
Placeholder rendering of a Corscale data center campus. A Midwest Digital Gateway render is not available yet.

About Midwest Digital Gateway

The City of Canton has been proudly shaped by a diverse industrial economy, beginning with its deep historical roots in the steel and heavy manufacturing industry and extending to energy development and infrastructure. Dating back to the 1800s, the manufacturing industry has been a staple in the city and neighboring communities, creating jobs, supporting local businesses and helping define the region's economic identity.

Midwest Digital Gateway builds on that legacy to help anchor the industrial infrastructure of the future. Like traditional manufacturing, Midwest Digital Gateway will depend on reliable power infrastructure, strong utility systems and skilled labor, and it will make significant long-term operational investments in the City of Canton.

Our site was selected with that history in mind. The project is being developed as a four-building campus, and the site is unique in that our small footprint allows for substantial setbacks with the buildings located toward the interior of the property to help reduce impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods. As the economy continues to evolve, Midwest Digital Gateway will serve as a positive foundation to support the next chapter of Canton's industrial infrastructure by bringing new investment to a community with a long history of building, powering and operating complex industries.

What is a data center?

A data center is a building full of computers. As our economy grows and evolves - we increasingly rely on data centers to concentrate computer servers in a protected environment to rapidly run software and process information. They are housed in a single location to ensure that they keep working without interruption.

Nearly everything that happens in modern life starts at a data center. When a hospital opens an imaging scan, when a video call connects, when a digital transaction clears the bank, when advanced manufacturing begins a run that requires zero tolerance machining - the computing behind all of that depends on a data center building.

The demand for this sophisticated computing power is growing exponentially as our economy becomes more technologically sophisticated. Data centers are no longer just simple warehouses for computer servers; they've become dynamic hubs of interconnected economic activity. Around them cluster regional technology suppliers, upgraded energy systems, hardware producers, builders, and expanding university research programs. Increasingly, data center sites serve as the foundational infrastructure on which advanced computing and next-generation manufacturing jobs are built. Data center infrastructure, much like a power substation or a rail line, is the critical infrastructure of the future and will help secure the jobs of the future.

The what
Once completed, Midwest Digital Gateway will encompass approximately 1 million square feet over four, two-story buildings with 312 MWs of available power. The campus offers many energy-efficient features including advanced cooling techniques, energy tracking, water conservation, limited generator footprint and ultra-low power usage.
The where
Midwest Digital Gateway is in the City of Canton, Stark County, Ohio. Corscale is actively working with local officials to incorporate important site considerations including landscaping, stormwater management, environmental impact, utilities, traffic, noise and construction planning.
Ratepayer protections
Midwest Digital Gateway will fund the infrastructure necessary to serve our facility, commit to long-term service agreements, maintain minimum billing obligations, and provide financial security to ensure that our project - not local residents - bear the cost of grid upgrades needed to support our operations.
Water use
Cooling a data center means moving heat out of the building. Northeast Ohio's climate does much of that work on its own. Outside air is cool enough to carry the load for most of the year and modern systems increasingly run on closed loops that are filled once and then recirculate, rather than drawing water continuously.
Who runs it
Corscale develops, owns, and operates energy-efficient data centers designed with our neighbors in mind. Our senior leadership team brings a 43-year development track record and has led more than $26 billion of infrastructure investment across 17 states.
Aerial rendering of the proposed Corscale campus outside Canton: four long server and data halls set around access roads and parking, a power substation and cooling plant along the eastern edge, four retention ponds, and the surrounding farmland, woodland and existing industrial buildings. Labelled on the render: Data Hall 1, Data Hall 2, Data Hall 3, Data Hall 4, Switchyard, Cooling / Water Plant, and Parking / Access.

The Corscale Promise

We make the same seven commitments for every development we lead. We put them in writing for the community to see and we hold ourselves accountable. Below is what each one means for Midwest Digital Gateway, who is responsible, and how to reach us with any questions or concerns:

  1. 01

    We show up by name.

    We are proud of our record of responsible development. For questions or more information about Midwest Digital Gateway, please contact us at info@mdgcanton.com

  2. 02

    We pay our own way.

    We cover external costs related to the data center and we are committed to investing in and improving public services and shared spaces that surround our operations. We will not shift the burden for water or power onto residents. In fact, as a part of this project, Corscale will be investing to extend the water main and sewer service to the site which will also provide enhanced water services to nearby Canton Township. Moreover, Corscale will make substantial investments in the community to address unmet needs that our development can help address.

  3. 03

    We engage with the community.

    At Corscale, we want the City of Canton and Stark County to be informed and involved. This includes working with city leaders, local businesses and labor representatives during the planning, development and operational phases.

  4. 04

    Benefits for all.

    Midwest Digital Gateway represents a significant capital investment in Canton and Stark County. It will bring millions of dollars of direct investment, hundreds of jobs and new additional investments for community infrastructure. As we work with the community to develop this project, residents of Canton should expect that Midwest Digital Gateway will be a source of community wealth, ecological enhancement, and shared prosperity - not extraction.

  5. 05

    We build with local hands.

    Corscale prioritizes local union hiring and partnering with local trades, community colleges and workforce initiatives to create a new skilled work pipeline for modern trades and credentialed professional jobs. For Midwest Digital Gateway we expect to have 84% of our labor force represented by local unions.

  6. 06

    We design to fit.

    Setbacks, buffers, noise controls, and lighting have been designed to reflect the unique characteristics of the City of Canton and our site.

  7. 07

    We stay accountable.

    Corscale is a responsible developer dedicated to being a good neighbor in the communities where we operate. For Midwest Digital Gateway, that means transparent communication and providing opportunities for the community to engage with our team directly.

Economic Impact

Midwest Digital Gateway represents a generation-scale investment in Canton and Stark County. The figures below come from the economic impact modelling for the project, and the documents behind each one are listed beneath them.

$2.9BSource 1
Total investment in the Canton site
$318M/yrSource 2
Added to Stark County’s economy from 2029
200Source 3
Permanent jobs on the campus
2.5 yrsSource 4
Construction, Q4 2026 to Q1 2029
  1. 1[Oxford Economics — document behind the $2.9B total investment figure.]
  2. 2[Oxford Economics — document behind the $318M/yr added to Stark County’s economy from 2029.]
  3. 3[Oxford Economics — document behind the 200 permanent campus jobs.]
  4. 4[Oxford Economics — document behind the Q4 2026 to Q1 2029 construction programme.]
Three construction workers talking on site beside a steel-framed building

Learn More

We are here to answer your questions. Please reach out to our team with any questions or concerns and we will get back in touch with you as quickly as possible.

What kinds of permanent jobs will the site have?

The facility runs around the clock and needs a skilled staff — critical facilities technicians, electricians, HVAC and chiller operators, controls and building automation specialists, IT and cabling technicians, logistics staff, security professionals, safety specialists, and facility and operations managers. These are long-term technical careers with competitive pay and room to advance.

Will local contractors and businesses get work?

Yes. Corscale plans to hire qualified local contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors wherever it’s practical and fits the project’s needs. We expect approximately 84% of our construction workforce to be represented by union labor. Beyond the building trades, that typically includes engineering, trucking, landscaping, equipment rental, concrete and paving, fuel, hotels, and restaurants.

Will the project pay taxes?

Yes — like any commercial development, it will generate property tax revenue. That revenue is split among the City of Canton, local schools, Stark County, and other taxing bodies according to Ohio law and local taxing authorities, not by Corscale or the future tenant.

What does that mean for local schools?

Any share of property tax revenue that goes to schools flows through Ohio’s standard distribution process.

Will it strain Canton’s water system?

No. The City of Canton reviewed our anticipated water demand and confirmed it has enough capacity to serve the facility without affecting existing customers or residential water pressure. We’ll be on municipal water; no private wells are planned.Additionally, Corscale will make substantial water and sewer upgrades as part of this project that will extend service to the property and provide benefit to nearby Canton Township.

Will wastewater or cooling water go into the ground?

No. All water will be handled through the approved sanitary sewer system — nothing is discharged to groundwater or storm drains.

How loud will the facility be?

We will operate within all applicable City of Canton noise standards. Our design includes sound-attenuated cooling equipment, acoustically treated mechanical systems, generator enclosures with exhaust silencers, equipment placed away from neighboring properties, and interior mechanical service yards where practical. We complete acoustical studies during design to confirm compliance before the facility opens.

Will there be heavy truck traffic?

No. An operating data center generates very little daily traffic — mostly employees, maintenance crews, and occasional deliveries. Expect substantially fewer trips than a warehouse or manufacturing site.

Get in touch with the Midwest Digital Gateway team

If you have a question about Midwest Digital Gateway that is not answered on this website, please ! We are committed to being a good neighbor and responding to community questions quickly. You can direct questions to our here

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