Stillwater officials say the tech giant Google will be the operator of a potentially multi-billion dollar data center in the city.
The up to $3 billion data center project has been in the works since last summer. But the company moving onto the property at the intersection of Perkins and Richmond Roads has been kept secret by economic development officials in Payne County.
City officials revealed that company will be search engine-turned-tech giant Google. Construction of the first phase of the Google facility is expected to be completed as early as 2027. Mayor Will Joyce, however, has said “it’s a 25-year project plan.”
“Google choosing Stillwater is a testament to the strength of our economy, our workforce, and our commitment to community investment,” Joyce said in a statement announcing the news. “This project is a tremendous collaborative effort among the City, our economic development partners at the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, and several local stakeholders. Together, we look forward to welcoming Google to the Stillwater community.”
A similar Google data center campus in Pryor has been operational for over a decade, bringing billions of dollars of investment into Northeast Oklahoma.
Under an agreement with the city, Google will not pay property taxes initially but instead make direct payments in lieu of taxes to the city.
Phase one of the plan will include almost $900,000 in revenue for Stillwater Public Schools, Meridian Technology Center, Payne County government and the health department.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.