Facebook is coming to Eagle Mountain. Eagle Mountain stated, “together with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) today announced Facebook will begin construction of a 970,000 square foot data center at the Sweetwater Industrial Park in Eagle Mountain, Utah.” in a press release dated 5/30/2018. The Interlocal Agreements were agreed to and signed by the property taxing agencies several days prior to the official announcement. The agreements agreed to a property tax deal with Facebook for the Data Center build in Eagle Mountain. Not all of that money goes back to the company, Facebook is going to spend a large portion of it for some much needed infrastructure upgrades to prepare Eagle Mountain for future developments as well as alleviate some of the stress already created by Eagle Mountains rapid growth. According to the press release it includes $100 million dollars in infrastructure and a new 1000 megawatts electrical substation that will “support additional economic development in Eagle Mountain and the surrounding area.”
The majority of the taxing entities (Eagle Mountain, Utah County, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, and Unified Fire Service Area) had no issues with the agreement and felt that the impact on Eagle Mountain was a value add for the city. On the other hand, the Alpine School District did not see the impact as positive and at one point almost lost the deal for Eagle Mountain. A move that has had some residents discussing the possibility and procedure for Eagle Mountain leaving the Alpine School District #exitasd. Wendy Hart, a board member on the Alpine School District had this to say on her Facebook page.
“EM Data center approved. Original motion 30 years and $120M real property tax rebate max. Company threatened to walk away so substitute motion passed 6-1 to increase to 35 years and $150M max. 80% real property and 100% personal property tax rebate. No max on the personal property tax except the 35 years. unlimited 20 year phases.
Board wants to be included earlier in the process and have legislation changed to include impact fees for schools. But without the leverage of one of these deals, I doubt we’ll see any changes.”
The Data center build will represent a $750 million dollar investment in Eagle Mountain, and will increase the property tax already being collect for the site. Some estimates say that Alpine School District will collect significantly more than $100 dollars already collected a year. One report says that the tax collected will increase to $537,525 per year even with the tax agreement in place.
One of the concerns that residents brought up were about water and the impact the environment will have on the area. Mark Zukerberg answered some of those questions with a Facebook post on June 5th, 2018.
“Our 13th data center will be built in Eagle Mountain, Utah. All our new data centers are powered with 100% clean and renewable energy.
As important as using renewable energy is using as little energy as possible. So today we’re making our data centers more efficient with a new cooling system we’ve helped develop that will reduce the amount of water our data centers use to cool servers by more than 20% in hot climates and almost 90% in cooler climates. This new technology will allow us to build data centers in places we couldn’t before — helping us support more jobs and our growing community around the world.”
Melissa Clark, one of the Eagle Mountain City Council members that voted in favor of the Data Center, had this to say about the Facebook Data Center in Eagle Mountain.
“One of the things that residents in the city ask me about more than anything is economic development and the other is roads and infrastructure. Eagle Mountain has worked for over two decades to get into the position where have a diversified tax base so we can provide the basics to the community without raising taxes. I am so happy for our sweet little city that we have been able to work hard to bring a business that will provide tax revenue without the increase in traffic and pollution. This means there is less burden on small businesses and homeowners to provide the tax base and spreads the load around. This is a direct result of the hard work of our amazing staff. This is a win for the city, this is a win for the schools, and this is a win for individual families.”
The City Council on Tuesday night (6/6/2018) passed a measure that helped the Data Center move forward. The City Council during the approval of the consent agenda also approve item #21 on the agenda. That item was the approval of the Steeplechase Preliminary Plat. Steeplechase is the code name that was used by the State and other entities during the negotiation phase with Facebook. The plat included several right-of-way dedications. It dedicated 12.178 acres for extension of Pony Express Parkway along the East side of the project and an unnamed minor collector road along the west side of the property. It also included a note on the plat that if the City’s Transportation Plan has a roadway along the northern border of the property then the owner would provide a 38.5 foot wide right-of-way dedication at that time.
Mike Kieffer – Editor-in-Chief, Cedar Valley Sentinel
Mike Kieffer is a dynamic leader and community advocate based in Eagle Mountain, Utah. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Cedar Valley Sentinel, a local publication dedicated to informing, inspiring, and elevating the Cedar Valley community through honest and accurate journalism. With a passion for fostering connections, Kieffer has made it his mission to highlight local businesses, provide reliable news, and support community development.
Beyond his editorial role, Kieffer is the owner of Lake Mountain Media, LLC, a company specializing in media and communications, and the co-owner of Quail Run Farms, which focuses on sustainable farming and community engagement. He also actively contributes to the local economy and culture as a member of the Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce.
Kieffer’s dedication extends to preserving and promoting the history and heritage of the Cedar Valley area. He often participates in community-centered events and media, including podcasts that explore the unique aspects of life in the region. Through his varied endeavors, he remains a steadfast advocate for the growth and enrichment of the local community.
