Facebook to announce New Albany project plans

COLUMBUS — Facebook has scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Tuesday at New Albany’s city hall, during which the socialmedia giant is expected to release details of the $750 million data center that it wants to build there.

The advisory released by Facebook says Gov. John Kasich and other federal, state and local leaders will be in attendance, but it does not provide any other details.

The Dispatch reported Friday that Facebook plans to build a 900,000-square-foot data center on 345 acres in western Licking County. District have been purchased by Columbus real-estate developer Kyle Katz.

Katz, a member of the Downtown Commission, bought a 41,000-square-foot office building at 555 S. Front St., which is 90 percent leased, and a 5,200-square-foot building at 551 S. Front St., which is occupied by Holy Water Spirits.

Katz said he purchased the buildings as an investment and does not plan any major changes. Financial details have not been disclosed for the purchase, which has not yet been recorded by the county auditor’s office. Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, the first vote in what could be an intense month of legislative action to quickly pass the massive deal.

The Republican-controlled Assembly’s jobs and economy committee voted 8-5 along party lines to send the bill to the full Assembly, which plans to take it up Thursday. Republicanauthored tweaks were approved that attempt to address some concerns raised by critics that the state is giving away too much to win the $10 billion plant that could employ up to 13,000 workers.

But the core of the proposal remains — including $3 billion in tax breaks for meeting investment and employment targets. The panel rejected 22 Democratic amendments that sought, in part, to provide extra protections for taxpayers and the environment and ensure that workers come from Wisconsin, are paid a living wage and have union protections.