After Sears teardown, walls are going up for Hoffman Estates data center campus

Dallas-based Compass Datacenters’ takeover of the 273-acre former Sears’ corporate headquarters in Hoffman Estates now goes well beyond its name on the deed.

With Sears’ presence fully erased from the massive site, construction has begun on the first two of five data center buildings planned for the property. Each will exceed a quarter million square feet.

“They’re full steam ahead,” Hoffman Estates Village Manager Eric Palm said. “It’s an active construction site.”

“They are following the construction schedule to a T,” added Sanyokta Kapur, the suburb’s director of building & code enforcement.

Construction is planned to proceed from west to east, and permits have been issued to allow the precast walls of the first two buildings to go up.

Palm emphasized that the permits allow construction of the shells of the buildings, but the interiors will depend on the preferences of the tenant Compass will find.

He said three projects are essentially in play at once: the data center buildings, the foundation of an electrical substation that will help power the site, and the extension of the utility connections from the substation.

Compass prides itself on its dedication to environmental sustainability and community engagement, claims the village has found sincere.

“They’re excellent partners,” Palm said. “They’re great to work with.”

“Our long-life hyperscale campuses are designed to last 100 years,” a Compass Datacenters spokesperson said. “Each site is planned for responsible growth, with sustainability in mind. The construction phase we are currently in leverages a unique manufacturing-style that enables us to achieve significant carbon reduction related to our building materials.”

Those materials include CarbonCure, which mineralizes carbon dioxide and reduces greenhouse gas emissions when injected into concrete, and ConcreteAI that reduces cement content by about 20% to lower embodied carbon by another 15-20%.

Carol Stream-based American Demolition, which tore down the Sears offices, said about 95% of the structure would be recycled, keeping 400 million pounds of debris out of landfills.

The data centers also will use water-free cooling and hydrogenated vegetable oil-based fuels for backup power, as well as taking additional sustainable measures.

“Compass will likely use less water than Sears did,” Palm said.

About 9,000 employees occupied Sears’ 2.4-million-square-foot headquarters in Hoffman Estates for about 30 years after the company moved from its iconic skyscraper in Chicago.

The Compass project represents a $10 billion investment by the company and its partners. Each data center building is expected to take 14 to 16 months to complete, with the overall development likely to take three to four years.

“Compass works hard to find sites that minimize any impact on nearby residents, and we are committed to making positive, lasting contributions to the community,” the company spokesperson said. “That includes investing in local infrastructure upgrades and creating benefits that help communities thrive long after construction is complete. Our goal is to be a responsible neighbor and partner wherever we develop.”

Away from the site, Compass has partnered with Fellowship Housing in Hoffman Estates by sponsoring two families. The company also provided seed funding to help the Boys & Girls Club and has sponsored other charitable events.