What is the term for a site that has approved equipment install permits but is currently empty?

A cold site refers to a location that has the infrastructure and approved equipment installation permits in place but does not have any active systems or data running at that particular time. In a disaster recovery or business continuity context, a cold site serves as a backup location where necessary hardware, cabling, and other facilities are prepared and waiting for use, but the site is not actively powered-up or operational until a disaster recovery situation arises.

This differs from other options such as a warm site, which would have some operational capacity and might involve partially configured systems, and a hot site, which is fully operational and capable of taking over business operations immediately. A backup site typically refers to a location designated for operational support but doesn't specify the state of readiness compared to cold, warm, or hot sites. In summary, the defining characteristic of a cold site is its readiness with basic facilities and equipment, but without active operations or ongoing data processing at the time.