It's official. Facebook and Instagram's parent company Meta is bringing a massive data center to the southern Twin Cities suburb of Rosemount.
Construction of Meta's $800 million data center will take place over the next two years.
Brad Davis is with Meta and says they've been planning the project for quite some time.
"Discussions really got serious over the last couple of years," says Davis. "2021 was when the discussions really got tangible."
The 715,000 square foot facility's expected to create at least 1,000 skilled trade jobs at peak construction, and then 100 operational jobs.
"Data centers travel in packs," says Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. "They travel in groups and you get one, and you get a big one, and we've had here before, Minnesota is a data center epicenter. So there will be more to this."
The project is feather in the cap for Rosemount according to State Representative John Huot (DFL-Rosemount).
“Public-private partnerships like these are a powerful tool that helps Rosemount families thrive, Huot says in a statement. "With this exciting new facility in our community, we’ll be generating new, good-paying jobs, and building economic security for our local families.”
The data center will be built on a 280-acre parcel of UMore Park, which is owned by the University of Minnesota. The school’s Board of Regents approved the sale of the parcel last year.