Data center firm Core Scientific is expanding its footprint into Alabama.
The company, which develops cryptomine and HPC data centers, this week announced plans for a facility in Auburn, Lee County.
Core Scientific said its Auburn data center will housed within the existing AUBix facility at 1571 W Samford Avenue. It will launch with a capacity of 16MW, with potential for further expansion.
Core Scientific noted that it has become the operator of the Samford Avenue facility, has leased the building, and is planning to execute an option to purchase.
It has retained the facility’s 11 full-time employees and plans to increase its team to a minimum of 20 full-time employees.
The company said it will make an initial investment of approximately $135 million in the facility, with total investment in the project expected to exceed $400 million.
“Auburn represents an exciting new chapter for Core Scientific as we establish our presence in Alabama,” said Adam Sullivan, Core Scientific CEO. “This facility is expected to play a key role in our high-performance computing strategy, and we are grateful for the strong partnership and support from local and state leaders, including Auburn city officials. We look forward to contributing to Auburn’s growing technology sector and strengthening the regional economy.”
AUBix announced plans for a new data center in Auburn in August 2021. Construction on the 40,000 sq ft (3,700 sqm) single-story facility finished in March 2022. At the time it was set to offer up to 4MW across two data halls. The company was founded by Andrew Albrecht, who previously held roles at Cyxtera, A2 Advisors, Allegiance Telecom, and a number of software firms.
In September 2024, Core Scientific posted an SEC filing noting a lease agreement by and between the company and AUBix. The 10-year deal was for 5.7 acres of land, including a 40,000-square-foot building that Core intended to use for its HPC hosting operations. The minimum lease payments for the site total approximately $43.5 million, and include three additional five-year extension options. AUBix’s chief development officer Matt Tyndall was subsequently appointed Core’s head of site development in December.
“Alabama has long been a pro-business state, and Core Scientific’s investment in Auburn is a testament to our ability to attract cutting-edge technology companies,” said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. “We are excited to support their growth and look forward to the economic benefits this project will bring to our state.”
Core Scientific currently operates nine cryptomine and HPC data centers across six states—Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Texas— with an additional facility under development in Oklahoma.
Founded in 2017 as a crypto firm, the company has since pivoted to also offering hosting to AI cloud firms. It has signed multiple deals with AI cloud firm CoreWeave, and expects to have 500MW of infrastructure ready for CoreWeave by the second half of 2026; it is building new sites and converting a number of its existing crypto sites in order to host the AI company.
