Apple confirms $1.3B Iowa data center, says operations will start in 2020
As anticipated, Apple on Thursday confirmed plans to build a new data center in Waukee, Iowa, which it says will cost $1.3 billion, plus up to $100 million more for a “Public Improvement Fund.”
The complex, near Des Moines, will span 400,000 square feet, and handle services like Siri, iMessage, and the App Store, Apple said. Power will stem entirely from renewable energy, including “wind and other sources.”
The Public Improvement Fund will be managed by the City of Waukee and develop “community projects like parks, libraries and recreational spaces, as well as infrastructure needs.” The first planned effort is construction of the Waukee Youth Sports Campus, which will include fields, a greenhouse, a playground, and even a fishing pier.
It should take some time for the Fund to hit the $100 million mark, as the company will only be paying in about $1 million per year.
Similarly, though Apple indicated the data center should create “over 550 construction and operations jobs,” it’s likely that just 50 of those will be permanent. Apple is receiving some $213 million in incentives from state and local government.
Construction should start in early 2018, and bring the center online by 2020.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is slated to appear in Des Moines for the announcement, and will visit students at the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center alongside Governor Kim Reynolds.