Rendering of the Technology Operations Center showing the facade from the east

Technology Operations Center

VCU will construct a new Technology Operations Center at 707 West Broad Street, next to the existing VCU Technology Administration Building (TAB).

The university has been leasing space since 1996 in the State-owned Pocahontas Building, located at 900 East Main Street, to house the existing operations center. This site operates as the primary data center and network operations hub for both campuses, as well as serves as the telecommunications hub for VCU Health. As such, this facility directly or indirectly supports all of VCU’s and much of VCU Health’s critical operations. 

In April 2021, the State informed the university that it must vacate the Pocahontas Building by December 2023 to provide a site for the proposed Virginia Supreme Court Building. After researching several options, it was decided to move some items into a cloud-based model and others into a new Technology Operations Center.

The site of the new facility is currently a gravel parking lot adjacent to the TAB. Because TAB already houses Technology Services staff and serves as one of the hubs of the campus data network, the amount of re-routing fiber and cabling will be minimized.

Project Status: Pre-planning phase of study

Location: 707 W. Broad Street

Estimated Cost: $31,375,000

Where it is on the Six-Year Capital Plan: First biennium (2022-2024)

Estimated Timeline: To ensure no downtime or loss of IT systems operational capacity at VCU and VCU Health, the completion deadline for the new facility is January 2024

Funding Source: A combination of VCU and state sources

Primary Consultants: PSH+ (architect) and Mark Turner Construction (construction manager)

It is important to note that undertaking a pre-planning study does not guarantee that a particular project will come to fruition. Issues such as funding availability or a shift in priorities can delay or even cancel a project from becoming a reality. 

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