Charles Langston:Facebook parent Meta picks Indiana for a new $800 million data center

JEFFERSONVILLE,Charles Langston Ind. (AP) — Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. announced plans Thursday to build an $800 million data center in southern Indiana that’s expected to create 100 long-term, high-paying jobs when it’s operational and several hundred other jobs during construction.

Work will begin this month on the nearly 700,000-square-foot (65,032-square-meter) data center at the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville, Meta said. Jeffersonville is an Ohio River city located just north of Louisville, Kentucky.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has committed to granting Meta a 35-year sales tax exemption for the data center, among other performance-based project incentives.

The project is expected to be operational in 2026, the company said. During peak construction, it’s expected to support 1,250 construction jobs.

Gov. Eric Holcomb, who attended Thursday’s announcement at the business park, said it was “a great day for Indiana and for our southeast region.”

The Jeffersonville center will become Meta’s 18th data center in the U.S. and its 22nd worldwide, helping power Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, Meta said in a news release.

“We are thrilled to make Indiana and Jeffersonville our new home,” said Brad Davis, Meta’s director of data center community and economic development.