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THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021
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The Facebook data center in Prineville.
Facebook’s footprint
continues to grow
in central Oregon
an investment and employment. These data
centers also like Prineville because of access
to cooler temperatures and reliable sources
It’s been a decade since social media giant of electricity.
Facebook opened a data center in Prineville,
According to the county’s economic
taking advantage of tax breaks.
development website, an enterprise zone tax
Today that center is poised to become exemption can go for up to 15 years, but a
Facebook’s largest data center in the United businesses must make a minimum of $12.5
States in this central Oregon town of 10,000. million investment, create a minimum of
And over the same period of time, other 10 to 35 new jobs and pay workers a wage
companies have located and expanded, that is 130% of the average county wage of
namely Apple.
$45,661 a year.
When
Facebook
Only new investments
‘THE
launched in 2011, tim-
qualify for enterprise zone
ber industry was wan-
exemptions, according to
PRINEVILLE
ing and the city needed to
the conditions approved by
fi ll the employment gap.
state lawmakers. A busi-
DATA CENTER
Since then, 400 direct fam-
ness may use the enter-
REPRESENTS
ily-wage jobs have been
prise zone tax exemption
added, hundreds of con-
multiple times for expan-
MORE THAN
struction jobs, renewable
sion projects as long as
energy jobs and ancil-
the employer adds at least
A $2 BILLION
lary construction jobs,
10% to the existing work-
INVESTMENT
said
Steve
Forrester,
force each time the pro-
Prineville’s city manager.
gram is used and invests
IN THE STATE
“Facebook’s
invest-
a minimum of $50,000,
ment over the past decade
OF OREGON,
according to the explana-
has transformed our com-
of the exemption.
WHICH IN TURN tion “The
munity for the better,” said
enterprise zone
Forrester. “Their long-term
program has been one of
SUPPORTS
commitment has created
the few tools available for
HUNDREDS OF
economic stability.”
economically distressed
Facebook’s center sits
rural and urban commu-
LONG-TERM
on a 120-acre parcel that
nities to attract new, high-
initially was built in two
CONSTRUCTION er-paying jobs and prop-
phases. During the heyday
erty tax base,” Lee said.
JOBS AND
of initial construction more
“The data center indus-
than 250 workers a day
try is a major contrib-
HUNDREDS OF
were on-site. Initially the
uting factor for Crook
data center said it would
County being among the
OPERATIONAL
hire 35 full-time employ-
fi rst counties in the state
JOBS.’
ees to run and maintain the
to surpass pre-pandemic
center, according to press
employment levels.”
William Marks | community
statements made in 2011.
As of June, Prineville
development regional manager
Two new buildings are
had 372 jobs in data pro-
of Meta, the corporate title of
expected to be completed
cessing,
hosting
and
Facebook
next year and three oth-
related services, as well as
ers are under construction,
computer systems design
bringing the total number
services, said Damon Run-
of buildings to 11 with 4.6 million square berg, Oregon Employment Department
feet spread out among them, said William regional economist.
Marks, community development regional
In fi ve years the number of jobs in this
manager of Meta, the corporate title of sector has increased four times, Runberg
Facebook.
said. The numbers don’t include the indirect
“The Prineville data center represents construction jobs.
more than a $2 billion investment in the state
One such construction company was San
of Oregon, which in turn supports hundreds Jose, California-based Rosendin Electric, an
of long-term construction jobs and hundreds employee-owned company that located an
of operational jobs,” Marks said.
offi ce in Prineville and even recently pur-
The jobs are in an industry sector that the chased the Rimrock Lanes after it closed.
Economic Development for Central Oregon
Many of these employees holding these
courts, said Roger Lee, CEO of the nonprofi t jobs may not live in Prineville; they do com-
that works to encourage new businesses to mute from other central Oregon communi-
relocate. The information industry is fairly ties, Runberg said.
new in Crook County, but accounts for
In fact, as of June, this job sector accounted
17.5% of all private wages, Lee said.
for about 5.3% of the total employment in
Prineville was able to attract data cen- Crook County. In 2016, it only accounted for
ters like Facebook by using an incentive like 1.5% of total employment, Runberg said.
the Oregon Enterprise Zone that gives prop-
“The positive impact only continues to
erty tax waivers to developers who provide grow,” Lee said.
By SUZANNE ROIG
The Bulletin
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Senators propose national
monument in central Oregon
By BRADLEY W. PARKS
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Oregon’s U.S. senators have proposed a
new national monument at Sutton Mountain
near central Oregon’s Painted Hills.
Sutton Mountain stands in the backdrop
of the iconic view overlooking the autum-
nal hues of the Painted Hills. The hills them-
selves are already featured as one of three
distinct units of the John Day Fossil Beds
National Monument.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley and U.S. Sen. Ron
Wyden, both Oregon Democrats, announced
legislation last week to protect an even larger
area surrounding the Painted Hills as part of
a new Sutton Mountain National Monument.
“With this legislation, we’ll make sure
the public will be able to experience some
of Oregon’s most incredible landmarks for
generations to come, while also creating jobs
and economic opportunities in the county
right now,” Merkley said in a press release.
The 66,000-acre monument would
include Sutton Mountain itself along with
several popular recreation sites like Pats
Cabin, Sand Mountain and Priest Hole.
The area has long been a target for con-
servation. Thousands of acres are already
protected as Wilderness Study Areas, which
are places identifi ed by the U.S. Bureau of
Land Management as having wilderness
characteristics eligible for further protection.
The Bend-based Oregon Natural Desert
Association has long supported additional
safeguards for Sutton Mountain. The region
provides habitat for a wide array of plant and
animal life, including herds of pronghorn,
elk and mule deer.
“Many folks don’t know what it’s named
or what it’s all about,” said Ryan Houston,
executive director of the Oregon Natural
Desert Association, “but it’s a pretty unique
feature out there and it’s a pretty wonderful
place to explore.”
Past attempts to create a federal wilder-
ness at Sutton Mountain in 2015 and 2019
have died in Congress. This latest eff ort
takes a diff erent approach by proposing it as
a national monument.
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