Facebook parent announces expansion of Mesa data center
The Meta Data Center campus in Mesa is expanding to five buildings totaling more than 2.5 million square feet, it was announced recently.
The nearly 400-acre site on the southeast corner of Elliot and Ellsworth roads is under construction on its first phase of just under 1 million square feet, with undergrounding of utilities and steel girders being placed by multistory-tall cranes.
“This is really the underground operation which you see here right now. A tremendous amount of work goes into providing pathways for power and for the electrical structure to go into these data halls. We actually lower the elevation of the pad,” Joe Yeargan, DPR Construction project executive, said during a May 4 media tour of the site.
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The Meta Data Center campus in Mesa is expanding to five buildings totaling more than 2.5 million square feet, it was announced recently.
The nearly 400-acre site on the southeast corner of Elliot and Ellsworth roads is under construction on its first phase of just under 1 million square feet, with undergrounding of utilities and steel girders being placed by multistory-tall cranes.
“This is really the underground operation which you see here right now. A tremendous amount of work goes into providing pathways for power and for the electrical structure to go into these data halls. We actually lower the elevation of the pad,” Joe Yeargan, DPR Construction project executive, said during a May 4 media tour of the site.
The expansion to five buildings from two was announced at a press conference at the site.
“We are adding three more buildings to the site, which means we’ll be building here for years to come. So these buildings — and the hardware inside — help bring Meta’s apps and services to billions of people around the world every day,” David Williams, community development manager for Meta, said at the event. “Once completed, this data center will support over 200 operational jobs and represent an investment of more than $1 billion in Mesa.”
Construction is to take four years with the number of skilled trade workers onsite at peak from 1,500 to 2,000 people.
Williams also announced a $50,000 grant to the Mesa College Promise program, which provides support for Mesa residents graduating from local high schools to attend Mesa Community College.
Once online, the data center for Meta — formerly known as Facebook — will be supported by 100% renewable energy. Meta is working with Salt River Project to bring 450 megawatts of new solar energy to the grid with three projects in Pinal County.
Meta has a goal to restore more water than it consumes globally by 2030. In Arizona it is helping restore 200 million gallons of water per year in the Colorado River and Salt River basins, Williams said.
Kelly Barr, SRP chief strategy, corporate services and sustainability executive, welcomed Meta to Mesa.
“I think you will find, Meta, that this is an amazing community. It’s a great place to live and to work,” she said. “I think there’s no surprise — all you have to do is look around here to see — that this area and the entire valley, quite frankly, is experiencing an incredible economic boom and it is driving the demand for water and power.”
For updates on the Meta Mesa Data Center, like and follow the Facebook page @MetaMesaDataCenter. For information on construction jobs, go to dpr.com/projects/facebook-mesa-data-center.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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