McMaster University Explores Converting Former Hamilton Office Building into AI Data Center
December 19, 2025
In a move reflecting the growing demand for high-performance computing infrastructure, particularly for artificial intelligence research, McMaster University is exploring a significant adaptive reuse project in Hamilton, Ontario. The university has entered a due diligence phase with sustainability-focused firm s2e Technologies to potentially transform a former newspaper office building into a modern data center and innovation hub.
The project centers on the 260,000-square-foot property at 44 Frid Street, known as the former Hamilton Spectator building, which McMaster Innovation Park acquired for approximately CA$25.5 million in March 2020. Originally built around 1970 and later envisioned as a life sciences and technology hub, the facility could now be repurposed to support emerging research and business computing needs. The university initiated a request for expressions of interest earlier this year, from which s2e's proposal was selected for further study.
While specific technical details regarding the data center's power capacity or IT load were not disclosed, the proposal outlines an "innovation hub with a modern data center." The due diligence process between McMaster and s2e is expected to continue into early 2026, with any final agreement subject to board approval.
s2e Technologies, an Ontario-based firm founded in 2006 with a background in solar farm development, recently expanded into the data center sector. CEO Milfred Hammerbacher expressed enthusiasm about the potential partnership, stating on LinkedIn, "We are very excited about the announcement of our project to create an exciting AI collaboration and state-of-the-art sustainable sovereign AI data center with McMaster University." He highlighted the opportunity to combine the university's research assets with Canada's AI entrepreneurs and enterprises.
This initiative underscores a broader trend of repurposing commercial real estate for digital infrastructure and aligns with the strategic push by academic institutions to secure advanced, sovereign computing resources. A successful conversion would provide McMaster with dedicated infrastructure to fuel AI and high-performance computing research, potentially attracting further industry collaboration to the Hamilton region.
Source: datacenterdynamics
McMaster University Explores Converting Former Hamilton Office Building into AI Data Center
