Compass Datacenters (often styled Compass Datacenters) is a private U.S.-based developer, owner, and operator of hyperscale and wholesale data center campuses. It focuses on large-scale, long-lived facilities primarily for cloud providers and hyperscalers.

Key Facts

• Founded: 2011 by Chris Crosby (former senior VP at Digital Realty with a modular data center background). He remains CEO.
• Headquarters: Dallas, Texas (14555 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 125).
• Ownership: Acquired in 2023 by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (from prior owners including RedBird Capital Partners and Azrieli Group) in a deal valued around $5.5 billion. KKR is also listed among backers in more recent company descriptions.
• Business model: Emphasizes an “industrialized” or manufacturing-style approach. Roughly 85% of each data center is prefabricated off-site using a standardized kit-of-parts for faster, more predictable delivery, better quality control, lower risk, and improved safety versus traditional stick-built construction. The company promotes a “100-year campus” / long-term neighbor philosophy, community investment, low water use (closed-loop cooling), and sustainability metrics.

Markets and Scale

Compass develops multi-building campuses rather than one-off facilities. Active or developing sites (as of recent company information) include:

• Dallas–Fort Worth (major presence in Red Oak, Texas; campus expansion toward ~360 MW)
• Phoenix area (Goodyear ~212 MW, El Mirage ~108 MW)
• Chicago area (Hoffman Estates, former Sears headquarters site, ~200 MW)
• Northern Virginia (Loudoun County campus)
• Meridian, Mississippi (broke ground 2025, ~320 MW)
• Toronto area
• Milan, Italy
• Presence or projects historically noted in Israel and other locations

It has operated or developed on the order of ~16–17 campuses/sites with significant contracted capacity (hundreds of MW to over 1 GW range across the portfolio in recent descriptions).

Recent Activity and Positioning (2025–2026)

• Strong growth recognition (Inc. 5000 list multiple times; Financial Times fastest-growing companies ranking).
• Financing activity including asset-backed securities (ABS) deals tied to stabilized Phoenix and Toronto facilities and Red Oak campuses.
• Community-focused moves: $12.6 million building donation to Texas State Technical College for a data-center workforce training program (MEI pathway) in Red Oak; proposed $15 million contribution toward a new Ellis County animal shelter amid local data-center opposition.
• Partnerships with suppliers such as Schneider Electric (prefabricated white-space modules), Vertiv, and others for power, cooling, and modular solutions.
• Public stance on industry pushback: CEO Chris Crosby has argued against blanket bans/moratoria on data centers and in favor of higher, uniform standards for water use, grid impact, community benefits, and accountability (including recent comments aligned with Texas Gov. Abbott’s positions).
• Pulled out of the large Prince William Digital Gateway project in Virginia in 2026 amid prolonged local opposition and related challenges.

In short, Compass is a mid-to-large player in the hyperscale data center space that differentiates itself through standardized, prefabricated construction methods, institutional backing, and an explicit emphasis on long-term community partnership and operational sustainability. Its official site is compassdatacenters.com.

RE: Subject: Request Regarding Ownership of GO Topeka Land Holdings

Good afternoon Mr. McClure,

Thank you for your message.  This message serves as confirmation that your email has been received by the council members. 

 

Tonya L. Bailey

Sr. Executive Assistant to the City Council

City of Topeka

215 SE 7th St. Rm 211

785-368-3710

 

“The preceding email message (including any attachments) contains information that may be confidential, protected by the attorney/client or other applicable privileges or that may constitute non-public information. This message is intended to be conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). If you are not listed as a recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.”

From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 11:17 AM
To: Kevin Cook <kevin.cook@snco.us>; Karen A. Hiller <khiller@topeka.org>; MCRE Media <mcre1.9999@blogger.com>
Cc: Governing Body <governingbody@topeka.org>; Robert M. Perez <rmperez@topeka.org>; Bill Riphahn <bill.riphahn@snco.us>; aaron.mays@snco.us
Subject: Subject: Request Regarding Ownership of GO Topeka Land Holdings

 

Notice: -----This message was sent by an external sender-----

 

Dear Councilmember Hiller and Commissioner Cook,

I am writing regarding the approximately 230+ acres of land currently titled to Growth Organization of Topeka/Shawnee County, Inc. (GO Topeka), particularly the large tracts in the Central Crossing Commerce Park area along SW 49th Street and the parcel near Wakarusa.

These properties were acquired and held using public economic development resources. In my view, land of this nature should not remain under the permanent control of a private nonprofit. It should be deeded back to the City of Topeka, Shawnee County, or held collectively by JEDO so that elected officials — and ultimately the voters — retain clear public oversight.

GO Topeka currently exercises significant discretion over these assets with limited direct accountability to the public. That arrangement has allowed the organization to operate with a level of independence that, in practice, can feel like a stranglehold on the community’s ability to set its own economic development priorities. Those days need to end.

I respectfully ask that you consider initiating a formal review of these land holdings and explore transferring title to the appropriate public body (City, County, or JEDO). Public land acquired with public funds should remain under public control.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am available to discuss it further if helpful.

Sincerely,

Henry McClure

Topeka, Kansas

 

 

 

 

MCRE, LLC

3625 SW 29^th Street

Topeka KS 66614

785.383.9994

Subject: Request Regarding Ownership of GO Topeka Land Holdings

Dear Councilmember Hiller and Commissioner Cook,

I am writing regarding the approximately 230+ acres of land currently titled to Growth Organization of Topeka/Shawnee County, Inc. (GO Topeka), particularly the large tracts in the Central Crossing Commerce Park area along SW 49th Street and the parcel near Wakarusa.

These properties were acquired and held using public economic development resources. In my view, land of this nature should not remain under the permanent control of a private nonprofit. It should be deeded back to the City of Topeka, Shawnee County, or held collectively by JEDO so that elected officials — and ultimately the voters — retain clear public oversight.

GO Topeka currently exercises significant discretion over these assets with limited direct accountability to the public. That arrangement has allowed the organization to operate with a level of independence that, in practice, can feel like a stranglehold on the community’s ability to set its own economic development priorities. Those days need to end.

I respectfully ask that you consider initiating a formal review of these land holdings and explore transferring title to the appropriate public body (City, County, or JEDO). Public land acquired with public funds should remain under public control.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am available to discuss it further if helpful.

Sincerely,

Henry McClure

Topeka, Kansas

MCRE, LLC

3625 SW 29^th Street

Topeka KS 66614

785.383.9994

Form 990s do not list the specific publicly traded securities (individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.) by name or ticker.

What the filings actually disclose

On the Form 990 balance sheet, investments appear only as aggregate totals:

• Investments — publicly traded securities (one recent extract showed ~$2.46 million)
• Investments — program-related (one extract showed ~$1.79 million)

There is no required or voluntary schedule that itemizes the individual holdings (e.g., “X shares of Apple” or “Y Treasury notes”). Form 990 reporting for these categories is summary-level only.

More detail from audited financial statements (more useful than the 990)

Older audited financials (e.g., the 2019 consolidated audit of Growth Organization of Topeka/Shawnee County, Inc. & Subsidiary) provide clearer insight into the nature of the investments:

• The organization invests primarily in low-risk, highly liquid instruments:
  • U.S. government securities money market funds
  • Certificates of deposit (CDs)
  • U.S. Treasury notes and bills

These are valued at fair value (or cost plus accrued interest for CDs). The audit notes describe them as Level 1 assets (quoted market prices) for the Treasuries and money market funds.

More recent internal financial statements presented to JEDO (e.g., year-end 2024) continue to show a sizable “Investments” line (around $6.5–$6.9 million in one presentation), consistent with ongoing holdings of similar conservative instruments rather than equity portfolios or alternative investments.

Program-related investments

The “Investments — program-related” line is typically used for investments that further the organization’s exempt purpose (economic development) rather than pure financial return. In GO Topeka’s case, this category most likely relates to:

• Support for related entities or initiatives (including the East Topeka Learning Center / ETLC Support Corporation structure)
• Or other economic-development-related financial instruments

It is not a portfolio of publicly traded stocks.

Summary

Category	What it generally is	Detail disclosed publicly?	Typical composition (from audits)
Publicly traded securities	Marketable securities held for investment	Aggregate total only	Money market funds, U.S. Treasuries, CDs
Program-related investments	Investments that advance the mission	Aggregate total only	Related to economic development activities

Bottom line: GO Topeka does not appear to hold a significant portfolio of individual publicly traded equities that are disclosed by name. The publicly traded securities line reflects conservative, liquid fixed-income and cash-equivalent investments (primarily government securities and CDs). The Form 990s and available audits do not provide a security-by-security listing.

What the Form 990s actually show

On the balance sheet (Part X of Form 990), real estate is reported only in highly aggregated form:

• “Land, buildings, and equipment” (net of accumulated depreciation) appears as a single line item.
• In the available extracts (e.g., the 2022 filing), this net amount is very small — around $42,783.
• The large total assets ($20M–$23M range in recent years) come mostly from:
  • Cash and temporary cash investments (often $13M+)
  • Investments (publicly traded securities and program-related investments)
  • Other assets
  • And a very large deferred revenue liability (often $15M+)

gage 37

Do you want to look at the plans at 37^th and Gage? 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fKWa_oQzw1Q61BSlD99quQ1-KUzfiJ9H?usp=sharing

H

Henry McClure 

Time Kills Deals 

785.383.9994

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