Data center services provider zColo is preparing to launch its first colocation facility in downtown Chicago, planning to start offering space there by the end of the second quarter, the company said Thursday.

The carrier-neutral site will have 8,500 square feet of data center floor available, supporting up to 200 watts per square foot. One of the connectivity options at the site will be provided by Zayo – zColo’s Colorado-based parent company, which operates a 44,000-mile national network.

zColo president Chris Morley said demand for data center services in Chicago had outpaced supply by 50% over the past two years. “As a carrier-neutral provider, we plan to partner with other carriers in the Chicago area to support this demand.”

The announcement continues zColo’s national footprint expansion. It comes less than one month after the company announced acquisition of a 28,000 sq ft data center in Las Vegas, seeking to capitalize on the city’s gaming industry and its demand as a disaster recovery location for companies on the West Coast.

The company bought this facility from MarquisNet.

The Chicago data center became zColo’s 13^th colocation facility in the US. In addition to Chicago and Las Vegas, the company has data centers in Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey.