Data Centers
Data center growth fuels energy demand
Data centers have long been voracious consumers of power, very little of which is sustainably produced. The sudden and massive AI boom has exacerbated this problem. The Nordic region of Europe has abundant renewable energy sources available to power the growing needs of the digital world.
Kitebrook Data Centers
In 2024, Byrne launched Kitebrook data centers to address the worldwide shortage of sustainable power sources. Capitalizing on Byrne’s 25+ years of pioneering the use of sustainable power on a grand scale, Kitebrook develops green sources in 100+ MW tranches. Located in Scandinavia, where the topography enables the generation of massive amounts of hydroelectric power, Kitebrook data centers brings to market large-scale, green-powered solutions on short-term delivery schedules.
DigiPlex
Sensing an opportunity in the crash of the dot.com boom in 2001, Byrne acquired the Norwegian data center operator DigiPlex with his partner Bill Conway. Over the next two decades, DigiPlex expanded to become the largest data center operator in Scandinavia, hosting many global names in the financial services industry, Internet service providers, and systems integrators. DigiPlex was sold to IPI Partners in late 2020, and now operates under the brand STACK Infrastructure.
Private Residence Clubs
Palazzo Tornabuoni
15th-century palazzo located in the heart of FlorenceByrne brought the concept of private residence clubs to Europe with the restoration of Palazzo Tornabuoni, a 15th century Medici palazzo in Florence, Italy. The Palazzo underwent a $250 million re-development and is now managed by the Four Seasons. The club gives members a blend of restored Renaissance art and architecture with luxurious contemporary furnishings and amenities. In 2010, the project won Urban Land Institute’s prestigious Award of Excellence for EMEA.
Designer Outlets
Byrne moved to Paris in 1992 to open the first office of McArthurGlen Europe and spent the subsequent eight years spearheading expansion across the continent. McArthurGlen was the first to open outlet centers in France, Italy, Holland, England, Scotland, and Wales. By 2000, McArthurGlen had opened eleven centers in seven countries, hosting 1,500 stores and featuring nearly 500 hundred brands. The centers generated approximately $1 billion in annual sales, attracted 30 million annual shopping visits, and created 8,000 jobs.
Mixed Use Developments
The Warner
Award-winning multi-use project which helped kick-start DC’s east side rejuvenationAs SVP for Development at The Kaempfer Company in the mid-80s and early 90s, Byrne managed over $600 million of mixed-use development in the Washington, DC area. Designed by some of the country’s most renown architects, including the office of IM Pei (Pei Cobb Freed & Partners), Caesar Pelli, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the projects included the iconic Warner Building re-development on Pennsylvania Avenue, featuring its historic Warner Theatre.
