Construction begins on Facebook’s Mesa Data Center
By David Malone, Managing Editor
Facebook’s new 960,000-sf data center has broken ground in Mesa, Ariz. The $800 million project will be the company’s 14th data center in the country and the 18th in the world.
The multi-building data center campus, which is being built by DPR Construction, will be supported by 100% renewable energy, which it will achieve by partnering with the Salt River Project to bring three new solar projects to the area; achieve LEED Gold certification; and receive credits for water restoration efforts. According to Facebook, the facility will use 60% less water than a typical data center.
In addition to DPR Construction, the build team includes Burns & McDonnell and Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects (architects), Rosendin (electrical contractor), and Sunrise Engineering (infrastructure improvements). Rosendin is set to immediately begin hiring 500 people including electrical workers, prefabrication warehouse staff, BIM professionals, estimators, project managers, and office staff for the project.