Menlo Digital, the dedicated data centre platform of Menlo Equities, has announced the launch of construction for its new MD-DC1 data centre in Herndon, Virginia. The two-storey facility will span 28,520 square metres and deliver 48 megawatts (MW) of critical IT capacity. Clune Construction is serving as general contractor for the project.
Deployment in strategic markets
This data centre is part of a national development programme totalling more than 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of capacity across key hubs, including Northern Virginia, Phoenix, Silicon Valley, Dallas and Chicago. The pipeline highlights Menlo Digital’s ambition to establish itself in markets where demand for digital infrastructure is accelerating, particularly due to growing needs driven by artificial intelligence and cloud services.
The MD-DC1 facility will be located on a 3.6-hectare site and will include four 12 MW data halls. The site will be supplied with 67 MW of power from Dominion Energy Virginia’s Lincoln Park substation, which was energised in December 2024. Delivery of the powered shell is scheduled for summer 2026.
Acceleration of digital infrastructure development
Menlo Digital’s Chief Development Officer, Jane Vaughan, stated that the Herndon project is part of a national expansion strategy aimed at supporting next-generation digital workloads. The data centre is designed to meet the power density and operational requirements expected by major technology operators.
The project also reflects Menlo Digital’s focus on optimising operational capacity nationwide, using a standardised approach across Tier 1 sites and concentrating on the needs of hyperscale cloud providers.