JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. plans to build an $800 million data center in southern Indiana's River Ridge Commerce Center.

Gov. Eric Holcomb made the announcement Thursday, saying it gives him high confidence that Indiana could become the "AI (artificial intelligence) capital of the Midwest."

"Having access to what you all provide to the world (Meta) right here, growing it right here in Indiana, leads us to a level of high confidence that we're going to end up being the AI capital of the Midwest. We have set some pretty lofty goals," Holcomb said. 

It will be the company's 18th data center in the U.S. and 22nd in the world.

Data centers require large investments in computer servers and consume vast amounts of electricity but create few permanent jobs relative to their capital investments. The Meta data center will employ about 100 people for its operations and up to 1,250 people during construction.

Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore called it "the biggest announcement ever made out of Jeffersonville, Clark County."

Moore said the conversations about this project have been in the works since 2019.

"COVID slowed us down for a little bit there, but, just like the economy in Jeffersonville, things fire back up," Moore said.

The data center will be fully powered by renewable energy, as all Meta data centers are, according to Holcomb's office.

"Jeffersonville is the perfect home for Meta," said Brad Davis, director of data center community and economic development for Meta. "It offers great access to infrastructure, renewable energy, strong pool of talent, and most important, an amazing set of community partners."

Davis said this data center will be part of the infrastructure that helps bring technologies and services to billions of people across the world.

"It has a whole bunch of different network server computers that are storing, processing, and transmitting data," he explained.

Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, will build a nearly 700,000-square-foot facility at the River Ridge Commerce Center. It will be the company's 18th data center in the U.S. and 22nd in the world, according to Holcomb's office. 

Davis said Jeffersonville quickly made it to the top of the list with a shovel-ready location for this campus, which will be on a site spanning more than 600 acres.

"An $800 million investment in our city. People. Do you recognize the effects of that? That that's going to have? I mean, that's not only for the employees in that building, but that entire campus," said Moore.

Moore said this announcement is a "huge day" for Jeffersonville.

"It's a domino effect. The stronger the company's base that you bring in, the more influence it has on all the positive things that we want to continue in Jeffersonville," Moore said.

Moore also praised the work Meta does with area schools in locations where it creates data centers. 

"In each data center community, we partner with schools and local organizations on programs and resources to help build skills and increase the use of technology," said Davis. "Once this data center is online, we'll launch or Meta Data Center Community Action Grants, a program created to address local needs by putting the power of technology to use for community benefit. Connecting people both online and off, and improving STEM education." 

Construction will start this month and the facility will be operational in 2026, according to the news release.

"If you're looking for a place to live right now, Jeffersonville, Indiana is it and you may never work for Meta but you're going to reap the benefits of it," said Moore.

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