A data center is set to be built in a former bunker in Leverkusen, Germany.
Located on Niederfeldstrasse in Wiesdorf, GetGenius Inc. is set to invest millions into the project for district development company SWM.
“The demand for high-performance technology is enormous,” said Marco Rolof, CEO of GetGenius Inc. “This project can have a massive impact on Leverkusen for decades to come and advance it as a location for innovation.”
Specifications of the facility have not been shared, but a separate project website is being set up.
SWM is developing an office district in the region, also planning eight to ten office buildings at Neiderfeldstrasse.
SWM purchased the bunker and adjacent building in the fall of last year. At the time, it was not clear how the bunker would be incorporated into district plans.
Björn Krischick, managing director of SWM, added: “This development would be - in addition to the trade tax rate of 250 percent - a significant advantage for Leverkusen and can offer interesting synergies for entrepreneurs. Now it is important to keep up with the investors’ pace and convince them with an investor-friendly infrastructure.”
The two-story bunker, built in 1941, had been used as a makeshift civil defense facility until 1945. It spans around 915 sqm (9,848 sq ft). Despite a four-year construction period, the bunker was never completely finished.
Headquartered in Washington DC and founded in 2022, GetGenius Inc. is an AI-powered, online marketing automation company.
SWM, not to be confused with the Munich utility operating under the same acronym, is currently developing four projects in the Wiesdorf/Manfort district. These include a transport hub, inner-city living, a school campus, and a retail area.
Wiesdorf is located just north of Cologne in the Rhineland, which is home to operators such as AtlasEdge, and nLighten. Microsoft also has a data center in the area.
