(Photo above: Facebook Prineville Data Center Building 2 Entry Court 2 | photo by Alan Brandt)
Neither city officials in Prineville nor Facebook are able to discuss negotiations publicly until an agreement has been reached. Commissioner Seth Crawford said that lawyers have advised not to discuss any information about a potential new Facebook data center in Prineville but that more information should be available in the coming weeks.
Facebook is expected to return documents this week which will be reviewed and considered at a September 2 Crook County Court meeting.
Facebook’s possible expansion in Prineville was acknowledged by Weinstein PR President and Facebook Spokesperson Lee Weinstein. However, information will not be available until after Crook County and Facebook makes their decision on whether plans are agreeable or not. Weinstein expects that initial decision to be confirmed today, August 25.
According to analytics website Kissmetrics, Facebook has 500 million active users of whom 50 percent log in every day. With Facebook continuing to grow its user base and develop new apps and software an additional data center may be necessary. The majority of the Western United States posts and activity go through Prineville.
Facebook released a statement addressing the possible new data center.
“To keep up with the growing demands of our users, Facebook is evaluating the feasibility of constructing a third building in Prineville. We expect to make a final decision about a third building in Prineville by the end of August 2015.”
Facebook was initially drawn to Prineville as a data center location due to access to affordable power and a climate that offers the ability to reduce energy consumption through use of outdoor air for cooling. Upon completion of the second building Facebook acknowledged that there is room on the Facebook Prineville campus for a third data hall that would be constructed as business needs dictate.
Facebook’s presence in Prineville has had an unmistakable impact on the county.
According to Weinsten, Facebook’s Long Term Enterprise Zone (LTEZ) program’s original commitment was to create 35 jobs that pay 150 percent of the median wage in Crook County. Now, more than 147 people are employed by Facebook and its contractors work full-time at the data center. Approximately 85 percent live in Prineville/Crook County.
Prior to Facebook’s development, the subject property was vacant land and therefore only generating a few thousand dollars in property taxes annually. Facebook has also invested in fiber and power infrastructure that will benefit the region for years to come.
An economic impact study of five years of construction and 2013 operations prepared for Facebook by Portland-based ECONorthwest released in 2014 found that the data center has brought $45 million in economic activity to the region in 2013, which has turned into new opportunities for residents and existing and new companies.
According to the economic impact study Facebook has generated 651 jobs in Central Oregon and 3,592 in total in Oregon.
The social media giant has a commitment to hiring locally and using local contractors and suppliers to operate, supply and maintain the facility. They encourage contractors to shop local first and asks construction workers to rotate to different restaurants when they go to town for lunch.
Facebook has awarded over $1,065,000 to Crook County schools and qualified nonprofits through its Community Action Grants program, offers internship programs for local students and regularly donates to Crook County organizations.
The full economic impact report can be seen HERE.
Clarification and more specific details regarding the potential third data center will be available in the coming weeks as the two sides work toward an agreement.
For more information visit www.facebook.com/prinevilledatacenter
