By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The secret has been revealed – the company behind the $800 million data center in Wood County is Meta.
Regional leaders and Meta representatives gathered this morning at Bowling Green State University for the official announcement.
The 715,000-square-foot data center is being built on a 280-acre site in Middleton Township, north of Bowling Green. Once completed in 2027, the facility will employ approximately 100 workers. Meta anticipates more than 1,000 construction workers will be onsite at the peak of construction.
“We are thrilled that we will be building our Bowling Green Data Center right here in Wood County,” said Brad Davis, director of data center community and economic development at Meta. “We selected Middleton Township for a number of reasons, including great access to infrastructure and renewable energy, a strong pool of talent, and a wonderful set of community partners that have helped us move this project forward. We are excited to become part of the Wood County community, and we look forward to having a strong, mutually beneficial partnership for years to come.”
Data centers are part of Meta’s global infrastructure that power its technologies and services. This will be the company’s 28th data center worldwide, and the second in Ohio.
“Our mission is to build the future of human connections,” through Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Davis said.
The jobs at the site will include technicians, heating and cooling specialists, administrative support and planners – earning an average salary of $83,000 annually. Meta officials said they make a concerted effort to source labor and materials locally and provide substantial contributions directly to the community.
As is customary with these types of large projects, the developer sought a Community Reinvestment Area agreement with the county. The county commissioners agreed in 2023 to a 75% tax abatement for 15 years for the project.
The school districts potentially impacted by the tax abatements approved agreements to get their share of the property taxes, with both Eastwood and Otsego likely to get about $1 million a year from the project.
But Dean Monske, president and CEO of Regional Growth Partnerships, said it wasn’t the tax breaks that attracted Meta to the Wood County site.
“Incentives are not what drove the decision,” Monske said.
Rather it was the availability of ample power, land, and water – “world class assets,” he said. Plus access to interstate highways and railroads provide connections to much of the U.S.
The new data center will help Ohio build a reputation as the nation’s “silicon heartland,” said Johnathan Bridges, of OhioJobs.
Wood County Commissioner Craig LaHote praised Meta’s “wise decision to locate in Wood County.”
“This is yet another tech project that can help us move away from our rust belt reputation,” LaHote said when the data center project was first announced.
The much talked about data center has gone by the code name of “Project Accordion” for years – with local officials signing agreements to not disclose Meta’s name.
Today’s announcement meant the “end to the biggest guessing game,” said Middleton Township Mike Moulton.
“We excel at growing things,” Moulton said, referring to the prime farmland in Middleton Township. And he added that he looked forward to a relationship of mutual respect and success – with Meta voicing plans to be a good neighbor.
“We fully believe your commitment to that,” Moulton said.
Davis said the Bowling Green Data Center’s electricity use will be matched with 100% clean and renewable energy. The company is also committed to long-term community investment, supporting local schools, nonprofits and community projects through direct funding and volunteering, he said.
Meta plans community action grant programs to support the region and STEAM education, Davis said. Though the data center straddles the Eastwood and Otsego school districts, Davis said after the announcement that there will also be opportunities for partnering with Bowling Green City Schools.
“We look forward to having a strong, mutually beneficial relationship for years to come,” in the region, he said.
When asked about noise generation at the data center, Davis said that will not be an issue.
“We’re very cognizant of our neighbors,” he said.
Through the Northwestern Water and Sewer District, the data center will have access to up to 50,000 gallons of water a day from the city of Bowling Green, which is vital for the cooling of servers. The acreage is close to a source of electricity, with the First Energy substation nearby on Mercer Road. And fiber-optic lines traverse the area, which could carry large amounts of information to and from the data center.
During the peak of construction for the data center, more than 1,000 vehicles a day will likely be accessing the site. Once construction is completed, the data center is expected to generate minimal truck traffic.
A roundabout has been installed at the entrance to the Meta site from Route 582. Turn lanes from Route 25 have also been constructed to access the data center. The extra lanes are located in front of the Middleton Township offices, and connect with an internal road into the data center development.
Many entities worked collaboratively in moving this project forward. They include Wood County Economic Development Commission, Middleton Township, Wood County Commissioners, Wood County Port Authority, the City of Bowling Green, Ohio Department of Development, Toledo Edison and JE Dunn Construction.
Job listings are expected to be available soon at metacareers.com.
