Google plans to invest $1 billion to expand its New Albany data center campus in Ohio.
The company also revealed it had acquired 618 more acres of land in Columbus and Lancaster for potential additional data center developments.
Google first began negotiating a data center in New Albany back in 2018, under the pseudonym of Montauk Innovations LLC.
At the time, it scored a 100 percent, 15-year data center sales tax exemption, worth around $43.5 million.
The company broke ground on the $600 million data center project on 440 acres in late 2019, and said it is already in operation. Now, Google plans to build more facilities on the site for $1bn.
“New Albany welcomed Google’s first Ohio data center in 2019, and has seen the positive impact Google has on our local economy," New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding said. "We are thrilled to see Google continue to invest and grow in our community." It is not yet known if the company managed to extract further tax concessions as part of the investment.
Google has also acquired 618 acres in nearby Columbus and Lancaster for potential future data centers - although it did not make any specific commitments or reveal timelines, as it is likely still holding out for tax breaks.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said the investment further solidifies “the state’s position as one of the country’s leading destinations for cloud technology and investment.”
Facebook operates a $1bn data center in New Albany, while Amazon has spent $1.1bn on three data centers in Central Ohio and last year bought 112-acres in New Albany for another facility.
