Internet giant Google announced today the company will build its second data center in Council Bluffs. Google employees were joined by Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan, Governor Terry Branstad, and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds at the ground-breaking.
The $300-million data center will create at least 50 jobs. Mayor Hanafan says Google’s investment has created new opportunities for western Iowa.
“We set out for an opportunity to change our community and our area and improve the situation in the state of Iowa with a lot of cooperation from the state,” Hanafan says. “And the idea was, we have to look to the future. What we’ve had in the past and what we’re going to have in the future is going to change. And Google’s going to help change the course of Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County and the state of Iowa.”
Governor Terry Branstad says projects such as Google’s data centers make Iowa a leader in the global marketplace. “Obviously, this is an area we are excited about, renewable energy, biosciences, agribusiness, insurance and financial services, advanced manufacturing, and information solutions. These are all areas where we see additional growth occurring,” Branstad said.
Google opened its first data center in Council Bluffs four years ago at a cost of $600-million, bringing the company’s total investment in Iowa to $900-million. The new data center will house infrastructure that supports Google’s mail and maps programs, as well as new products.