Apple Computer Acquires Data Center in Newark

According to reports released Monday, Apple Computer (apple.com) has acquired a data center in Newark for an estimated price of between $45 million and $50 million. The 107,000 square-foot facility was originally built for communications company MCI WorldCom before being abandoned after its 2001 completion.

Apple acquired the property from an affiliate of Dallas-based Stream Realty Partners, which manages an investment fund that purchases data centers at discounted prices.

Apple announced it has also acquired another never-used data center in Santa Clara from a developer group headed by Stanley Boersma of Cubix Construction in Danville. The 90,000-square-foot facility was also completed in 2001 but remains in "shell" form, having never been fully equipped.

Experts in the data center market say purchase prices are moving up at the moment, which may be prompting acquisitions in the space from companies that fear waiting will allow for prices to rise.