Facebook's massive Eagle Mountain data center has grown even bigger
When Facebook announced in May 2018 that it was building a 970,000-square-foot, $750 million data center in Eagle Mountain, that was impressive. Last week the technology firm said that it was adding another 500,000-square-foot building to the project, pushing the cost to over $1 billion, even while construction is still underway on the original project.
“Since we broke ground in May 2018, we have made great progress on our construction,” Facebook said last week. “So far, we have poured over 41,000 yards of structural concrete and incorporated over 7,000 tons of steel. Nearly 2 million hours of work have gone into the site and at peak, there will be approximately 1,250 construction workers onsite. We anticipate with this expansion, this data center will represent an investment of more than $1 billion and, once completed, the Eagle Mountain Data Center will support over 200 jobs.”
Facebook will benefit from tax subsidies as it builds its massive facility. Phase 1 of the project is set to benefit to the tune of $150 million in tax breaks over its first 20 years in operation.
Last week’s Phase 2 announcement was not a big surprise. Facebook said it could build as many as five phases over the coming years. In addition to its capital costs, Facebook is investing about $150 million in infrastructure improvements, including bringing power to the 500-acre site from a nearby high-capacity power line corridor, extending sewer and water service, bringing in telecommunication lines and improving roads.
Facebook reported revenues of over $17 billion last quarter and sports a market capitalization of $570 billion.
Facebook credited the local governments with its decision to locate its data center in Utah County. In its release it said, “Thank you to the city of Eagle Mountain and the state of Utah for being amazing partners from the beginning. While we are just announcing one additional building today, we look forward to continuing to grow at this location.”