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Facebook To Build $1 Billion Data Center In Virginia (cnn.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the coming-soon dept.

It's official: Facebook will be investing $1 billion in a new data center in Henrico County, which is just outside Richmond, Virginia. According to CNNMoney, Facebook is putting $750 million into construction and $250 million to multiple solar facilities that will power the data center. From the report: The investment is expected to create 100 full-time jobs. Facebook will receive about $19 million in state tax exemptions through 2035, according to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Facebook already has data centers in Oregon, North Carolina and Iowa. Centers in Fort Worth, Texas; Los Lunas, New Mexico; and New Albany, Ohio are currently under construction. "One of the many important factors in our search for a new data center location is being able to source clean and renewable energy. We also look for great partnerships within the local community, robust infrastructure ... and a strong pool of local talent," Rachel Peterson, Facebook's director of data center strategy, said in a statement.

20 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. Facebook coming to a town near you by Arzaboa · · Score: 1

    More Facebook, just what we don't need. One Billion Dollars for 100 people to work at? And folks wonder why the general public doesn't get Silicon Street.

  2. Proximity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    CIA can save on interstate backhaul, probably run their own fibre straight to it.

  3. not close to the CIA or NSA? by mtaht · · Score: 2

    I'd have thought they'd have tried to build next door to CIA HQ or the NSA, or even co-located.

    1. Re:not close to the CIA or NSA? by peektwice · · Score: 2

      It's only 99 miles to Fairfax. The National Reconnaissance Office will welcome the easy access to your traffic.

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      Other than this text, there is no discernible information contained in this sig.
    2. Re:not close to the CIA or NSA? by elcor · · Score: 1

      Maybe they are the co-location host for Prism's much needed expansion.

    3. Re:not close to the CIA or NSA? by Bushwuly · · Score: 2

      Site is around 100 miles from DC, along a fiber trunk that's already tapped into by another data center. Richmond International is about six miles away.

      Also, you didn't think fb would let that nearby MAREA cable go to waste, did you?

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      Get over yourself.
    4. Re:not close to the CIA or NSA? by mnemotronic · · Score: 1

      Chantilly. Just (points across street) over there. And I think you might have the wrong agency.

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      The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
  4. Facebook could have done better by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 2

    The investment is expected to create 100 full-time jobs. Facebook will receive about $19 million in state tax exemptions through 2035

    I'm somewhat shocked that Facebook didn't get a tax break that was an order of magnitude higher. If those numbers are correct, then my tax money is only paying $10,555 of each of those 100 salaries per year for the next 18 years. I would have expected to have been paying ten times that on $70K salaries. That seems more like the way these deals go. Of course with Fort Meade being only 90 miles away and Langley 60, the NSA and CIA are probably making up the difference.

  5. Back to PRISM by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    Like its 09 again :)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

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    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  6. Re:Another Repulican controller state by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    Terry's a Hillary Dem just like Mark

  7. At least BB won't have to travel too far by TheOuterLinux · · Score: 1

    Also, the short distance will make sending and receiving quantum communication that much better. Their AI's will be like roommates.

  8. Re: Another Repulican controller state by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The relevance of Virginia isn't its party affiliation.

    Virginia is where the CIA and deep state are rooted. Let's not forget what Facebook is, or who created it.

  9. Re: Another Repulican controller state by dougdonovan · · Score: 1

    mark, make sure you update the backbones in the area as well. good job.

  10. Re:Another Repulican controller state by tomhath · · Score: 2

    Just the construction of a billion dollar data center will probably recoup that $19M, not to mention the taxes that will still be paid on the facility every year.

  11. Re:Another Repulican controller state by dcw3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yeah...go give away $19million in tax breaks to a multi-billion dollar company, for 100 jobs. Yeah, really brilliant!

    If you think VA is only getting 100 jobs, then you missed the fact that $1B is being spent. Where do you think that money going?...how many workers is that going to employ and how long? How many small businesses spawn off of 100 new jobs...who feeds all those people, and their families? It's not as simple as 100 jobs at $190k a piece.

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    Just another day in Paradise
  12. Not really by p51d007 · · Score: 1

    BOTH U.S. senators for Virginia are democrats, and 40% of their U.S. reps are democrats. They put it in Virginia, most likely because it is close to DC.

  13. Re:100 jobs by pez · · Score: 1

    I also was surprised to see that a billion dollar investment will only create 100 jobs, but I guess the computers don't need that much maintenance once the facility is built.

    Building the facility has just got to create more than 100 short-term jobs though, right?

  14. Are they going to co-lo with the NSA? by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't be surprised.

  15. Re:Another Repulican controller state by fattmatt · · Score: 1

    Typically when pols want to sell the tax break they claim the total jobs created due ripple effect will be on the order of 5:1 ... 500 jobs ... so it must be much less in reality.

  16. Re: Another Repulican controller state by fattmatt · · Score: 1

    http://www.theonion.com/video/...