128 First Avenue
Needham, MA

OPPORTUNITY | STRATEGY | RESULTS

STRATEGY. Well before its first investment in 1998, Rabina Properties had focused intensely on the data center business, and had been scouring the eastern United States for a high-end property like 128 First Avenue. The firm recognized that demand for secure data facilities had the promise of dramatic long-term growth, despite current market conditions. As soon as the property went on the market, Rabina was able to act quickly, purchasing the building at an enormously attractive price relative to original cost.

The next step was to reposition the building, and marry a “best-practices” operational solution with the real estate assets. Rabina's value creation plan was to transform the vacant facility to accommodate multiple users. Renamed the Sentinel Building, Rabina’s solution involved the design of a multi-tenanting master plan, providing for the modular allocation of autonomous partitioned space, with related power, cooling and connectivity. The firm recognized that highly specialized management was the key factor for the success of this business, and it secured an elite team of personnel with substantive experience running Fidelity Investment’s data center business.

www.sentineldatacenters.com