State and city leaders announced Facebook’s plans to build a $750 million data center in Huntsville. Gov. Kay Ivey discussed the project during a news conference Thursday in Huntsville. Ivey’s office said the center will employ 100 people with an average annual salary of nearly $80,000.
Ivey said she was pleased that a “forward-thinking, major company like Facebook” was putting down roots in the state.
Facebook created a page about the project. The social media giant said the 970,000-square-foot data center will begin operations in 2020.
Matt VanderZanden, director of site selection at Facebook, said the Huntsville site was attractive because of a strong talent pool and availability of clean and renewable energy.
The company projected the data center will have a strong economic impact on the area. “We are proud to say a recent study found that for every 1 million dollars in operating expenses at our data centers, there are 13 jobs supported in the economy,” a company statement said. “And for every 1 million dollars in capital expenditures, there are more than 14 jobs supported in the economy.”
The project has been under development for the last year under the codename “Starbelt.” The Huntsville City Council last month unanimously approved Facebook’s purchase of the site for $8.5 million.