If "there are data centres, and then there's '151 Front'" why did I see a tacky, giant banner mounted on the side of the building today announcing their 'discount rates' and how they will 'match competitors'. That isn't the act of a market leader with a definitive advantage. It actually smacks of desperation.
I am thinking that at one time this was a very important data centre, perhaps a first downtown with mass capacity, in a time when big banks actually needed mass capacity in immediate vicinity because they did everything downtown. But then the market changed dramatically. Data use has decentralized., and the advantages of an extremely expensive data centre have been rendered redundant.
It may now be a white elephant, which is why they are resorting to No Frills grocery store flyer advertising. The stories of expansion of 151 Front have been around since I came to Toronto in 2005. 10 years later they have not established a real plan to expand at all.
My guess is this data centre has actually become redundant, and that it's destiny is to be demolished in a few years, and replaced due to lack of revenue to compensate for the opportunity cost.