Construction on data-storage center to begin this month

QUINCY — It's official.

Microsoft has signed a contract to buy 75 acres to build a massive data-storage center. The company had signed a temporary agreement in January to buy the property for a little more than $1 million. Microsoft officials finalized the deal Thursday.

"This is a monumental step to get this done, and now we move on to other things and see how we can accommodate them as they're coming to town," said Port of Quincy board president Curt Morris, noting the port is also working with Yahoo Inc., which has signed a tentative agreement to purchase 50 acres in a nearby industrial park. Yahoo will complete their sale within the next 30 days, Morris said.

Microsoft hasn't released many details about the project. Documents filed with the city show plans for as many as six buildings, totaling nearly 1.5 million square feet, that would house racks of computers to store data. The plans include an electrical substation, as well as a diesel-powered generator that would provide backup power.

Construction is expected to begin this month.

"The immediate benefit is as construction starts, that will bring a tremendous number of construction workers to town, which will help local industries," Morris said. "It has created a need for housing, and with that, has brought numerous developers from out of the area looking to buy land and fulfill the need for housing."

Morris said Microsoft is attempting to have construction completed by April 2007.

"That's not too long away to have additional housing for people to work at the facility," he said, noting a concentrated effort in Quincy to ramp up housing is under way. "We're actively pursuing that."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.