A couple of days ago, we had reported that Apple was really close to purchasing half a block of land to expand the presence of its existing Reno Technology Park. And today, the Cupertino giant’s plans to build their newest data center in downtown Reno have been approved by the City Council. This land purchase makes it eligible for several tax benefits from the state.
Speaking about the expansion plans, an Apple representative said,
We’re excited to announce today that Apple will be increasing our investment in northern Nevada by an additional $1 billion creating hundreds of jobs in both operation and construction.
A planned investment of $1 billion, coupled with at least 100 new job opportunities, will increase the size of its data center facilities two-fold towards the east. The construction of this facility is also expected to generate an additional 300 construction jobs later this very year. The new facility is located in Washoe County’s Tessera Tourism district and is about half a city block large. The facility has been named Evans Avenue Warehouse in the special use permit filed by the company, reports local publication KTVN.
At the council meeting, an Apple representative stated that the company had been interested in the said location for a very long time. Earlier, it was interested in leasing half a block to build their shipping and receiving warehouse in this district. But, an amendment to the leasing laws has enabled them to directly purchase the plot — even though council members voted against the decision. They were purporting that unfair tax deals shouldn’t be handed down to powerful, well-known organizations.
Commenting on Apple’s participation in further economic development of Nevada, Governor Brian Sandoval said,
Apple was the first major economic development success in Northern Nevada and helped place this region on the technology and innovation map. Apple’s decision to increase their local investment by $1 billion is a testament to our successful partnership and a demonstration that the best companies in the world are coming to Nevada, creating hundreds of jobs, investing in our communities and making our state their permanent home.
As mentioned in earlier reports, this data center has actually been under discussion since 2012. Now, Apple would build a $4 million warehouse covering an area of 373,893-square foot at the purchased location in Nevada. This adds to Cupertino’s mission to generate more jobs within the States, especially when President Trump is pressuring local tech giants to employ local talent. The iPhone maker has recently not only touted its massive workforce in the U.S but also committed an additional $1 billion to create manufacturing jobs within the country itself.
