Omaha Forums

The next time you Google something, that search might be processed a few miles away, at the Internet company's new data center in the Bluffs.

About 650 people gathered at the construction site Tuesday to celebrate the Iowa center going online.

The $600-million data center, located on 55-acres northwest of U.S. 275 and South 11th Street, will eventually employ about 200 people. The center houses computers that will run some of Google's services, such as the search engine, Gmail, and Google Maps. . . .

Chris Russell, Google's data center operations manager in the Bluffs, said that the availability of power, the potential hiring pool, a low incidence of natural disasters, strong local educational institutions, community and governmental support and the economic climate all played a role in attracting Google to the Council Bluffs area.

Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan said the city has invested in economic infrastructure, such as its fiber-optic network and power plant.

Paul Froutan, Google's California-based director of hardware operations, said those investments were crucial to making Council Bluffs one of a handful of locations around the world with the capacity to support a data center of this caliber.

Hanafan said Council Bluffs' association with Google - the world's most widely recognized brand - would help foster future economic development.

"Google has put us on the map."

He said Google's $600 million investment is the largest made at one time by a single company in Iowa or Nebraska. He said the availability of land - Google has purchased an additional 180 acres to the west and 1,000 acres to the south of the current site - could allow for further significant investments. . . .

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said the opening of the center brought Iowa closer to his goal of making the state the "Silicon Valley of the Midwest."

He said that Microsoft plans to build a $500 million data center in West Des Moines, and IBM plans a new service center with up to 1,300 jobs to Dubuque. . . .

Russell, the local operations manager, said there were still positions available at the site, including computer technicians, facilities maintenance people and project managers. . . .

Google and the city of Council Bluffs are announcing the launch of a free Wi-Fi Network citywide. This marks the first free high-speed wireless internet network for the city and the first Wi-Fi initiative in Council Bluffs.

The Council Bluffs Free Wi-Fi Network gives free access to the Internet to anyone in and around three Council Bluffs areas: Downtown Council Bluffs and 100 Broadway District, Mid America Center, and the Harvey Recreational Complex. Once users agree to the terms of service, they will be able to surf the web freely.

A celebration is planned for the evening of October 26, 2011, on the 100 Block of Broadway from 6-8 pm. The public is invited to learn about the free Wi-Fi network and the collaboration between Google and the city.

Live music, food, beverages, and Google product demonstrations will be a part of the evening celebration.

Google financed the construction of the Wi-Fi Network through a $154,462 grant, and the city incurred no charges. Google has agreed to provide free Wi-Fi to the City of Council Bluffs for three years, and the City will maintain the network.

“Google is a strong believer in the power of the web, and it’s an honor to be able to support this exciting initiative,” said Chris Russell, Operations Manager for Google’s Council Bluffs data center. “We believe cutting edge technology and Internet access is crucial to developing business, creating jobs, and thriving in the 21st century. The Council Bluffs Free Wi-Fi Network allows Council Bluffs’ residents to do just that.”

A subsidiary of the internet search giant has submitted an amended application with the Federal Communications Commission that would give the Mountain View, Calif.-based company authority to build an “antenna farm” in Council Bluffs on the same site as its data center. . . .

In addition to the FCC approval, Google also would need to apply for a license in Iowa through the state Legislature. That process could take as little as 60 days.

The application does not include information about the size or appearance of the antenna farm. Such farms don’t usually bring a lot of new jobs but would be expected to increase the land’s value for property tax purposes.

If at some point Google Fiber – the company’s next-generation broadband that’s expected to be 100 times faster than current high-speed internet products – expands outside of Kansas City, Google would have room to grow its antenna farm, too. . . .

Google will build a $300 million data center in Council Bluffs, bringing its investment in Iowa to $900 million.

The California-based Internet giant Friday received $9.6 million in state tax breaks for the expansion in Council Bluffs . . .

The project would create 35 jobs that pay at least $40,000 annually, and carry the possibility of adding 15 more.

. . . In another vote, the council unanimously approved the voluntary annexation of 957 acres just south of Council Bluffs for the new Google facility now under construction.

The official boundary is the centerline of 19 Street to Wabash Avenue between Pony Creek and the northern part of Bunge Avenue.

The annexation means the company will have city services, including water. Google is investing $300 million in a second Council Bluffs facility. Its other facility is along Veterans Memorial Highway.

“Mid-2013 is what we’re looking at for the opening,” said Chris Russell, general manager. . . .

jessep28 wrote:Google has a site up showing the inside of their data centers. Here's the page for the Council Bluffs location:

http://www.google.com/about/datacenters ... cil-bluffs

Ross Boettcher WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Even when that complex is finished and operational, Kava said, it won't be the last data center Google builds on the 1,000-acre parcel of land the company owns east of the MidAmerican Energy generating plant, on the east side of Interstate 29.

“I will tell you this: Council Bluffs is one of our homes, and we plan on being there a long time,” he said. “As need grows, it's a fair assumption that we will continue to grow our operations on that site.”

EastCB wrote:Google will be having a press conference on Friday to announce further plans for their property south of Council Bluffs according to the Des Moines Register.[/url]

HR Paperstacks wrote:

EastCB wrote:Google will be having a press conference on Friday to announce further plans for their property south of Council Bluffs according to the Des Moines Register.[/url]

I don't understand why they are announcing it in Des Moines when it's about Council Bluffs.

nebugeater wrote:

HR Paperstacks wrote:

EastCB wrote:Google will be having a press conference on Friday to announce further plans for their property south of Council Bluffs according to the Des Moines Register.[/url]

I don't understand why they are announcing it in Des Moines when it's about Council Bluffs.

Could be there there is more to anounce in Iowa in addtion to the CB area project.

Google says in a release that it’s announcing new details about “its continued investment in Iowa and its Council Bluffs data center” at the Statehouse.

HR Paperstacks wrote:

nebugeater wrote:

HR Paperstacks wrote:

EastCB wrote:Google will be having a press conference on Friday to announce further plans for their property south of Council Bluffs according to the Des Moines Register.[/url]

I don't understand why they are announcing it in Des Moines when it's about Council Bluffs.

Could be there there is more to anounce in Iowa in addtion to the CB area project.

That could be...

According to the Des Moines Register:

Google says in a release that it’s announcing new details about “its continued investment in Iowa and its Council Bluffs data center” at the Statehouse.

The first time I read through it, it seemed like they were just talking about the continued investment in Iowa because of their CB data center. But it could be that they plan another one elsewhere. In that case, I think DSM would be the next best candidate.

Des Moines Register wrote:Google says it’s investing $75 million in a central Iowa wind farm that produces enough electricity to power 15,000 homes. It’s the California tech giant’s first investment in an Iowa wind generation project.

Des Moines Register wrote:In addition to today’s announcement, Google said it will hold a press conference Friday with Gov. Terry Branstad to discuss increasing its investment in its Iowa operations.

Andrew J. Nelson, World-Herald staff writer wrote:Google officials announced expansion plans for their data center in Council Bluffs, a move that will bring the company's investment in Iowa to more than $1 billion.

Google has long said it had more plans for its properties in Council Bluffs. On Friday, in a news conference at the Iowa State Capitol, it announced them.

“We have an outstanding workforce in the Council Bluffs area, and we are so appreciative of the exceptional welcome we have received from the local community and the state of Iowa,” Google Data Center Operations Manager Chris Russell said. “We hope we've given Iowa more than a billion reasons to be optimistic and confident for our future together.”

Google is planning to invest another $400 million in its data center in Council Bluffs, bringing the company's total investment in the center to $1.5 billion.

Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., opened the $600 million data center in 2009 in the Lake Manawa area, then launched a $300 million expansion a year ago aided by state tax incentives.

In November, the company announced that it was investing another $200 million in expansion.

But now, according to a filing with the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Google is pursuing an additional $400 million expansion.

Tech giant Google plans to invest another $1 billion in its western Iowa data center.
With the additional $1 billion, Google's total for the Council Bluffs data center would rise to about $2.5 billion, making it the largest economic development project in the state.
Microsoft is currently constructing two data centers in West Des Moines, about seven miles apart from each other. In total, those data centers are expected to cost about $2 billion.

daveoma wrote:Another huge high tech investment lost to Iowa. Maybe governor Ricketts should stop concerning himself with non-existent threats to religious freedom and focus instead on economic development.

NEDodger wrote:

daveoma wrote:Another huge high tech investment lost to Iowa. Maybe governor Ricketts should stop concerning himself with non-existent threats to religious freedom and focus instead on economic development.

Uh, Google planted themselves in Council Bluffs years before Ricketts took office....

NEDodger wrote:

daveoma wrote:Another huge high tech investment lost to Iowa. Maybe governor Ricketts should stop concerning himself with non-existent threats to religious freedom and focus instead on economic development.

Uh, Google planted themselves in Council Bluffs years before Ricketts took office....

Uffda wrote:Talked with someone the other night who said the Google's current building project has temporarily been shut down because the main contractor/or something like that was let go. He was an electrician who had electrician friends who were working there but aren't right now.

Renovator2559 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 08, 2023 9:46 pm They also mentioned that Google is to do an announcement for the Nebraska side too...I wonder what kind of surprise we are going to get.

Renovator2559 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 08, 2023 9:46 pm They also mentioned that Google is to do an announcement for the Nebraska side too...I wonder what kind of surprise we are going to get.