Facebook’s June 4, 2015 announcement concerned a third data-center building at its existing Altoona, Iowa, campus—not a third Iowa campus. At the time, the first Altoona building was operating and the second was being built. Facebook expected construction of the third building to begin in summer 2015 and said the three buildings were anticipated to come online in late 2016. Those dates were projections made in 2015, not a current construction schedule.
What Facebook announced in June 2015
The original report described a planned third building at the Altoona campus. Facebook had not finalized the building’s size or design when the announcement was reported. The planned project was therefore a campus expansion, rather than a new location elsewhere in Iowa. Data Center Knowledge reported the announcement on June 4, 2015.
The report said construction was expected to start in summer 2015, with all three Altoona buildings anticipated to be online in late 2016. These were Facebook’s forecasts at that time; they should not be read as confirmed completion dates or as an update on the buildings’ present status.
Why Facebook chose Altoona
According to the 2015 report, a company spokeswoman attributed the site choice to a combination of practical infrastructure and local conditions:
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- A site that was ready for construction.
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The report also said Facebook had a long-term power purchase agreement for about 140 MW with a nearby Wellsburg wind farm. That figure and the explanation for the site selection are claims reported in 2015; they do not independently establish the agreement’s current terms.
How the Altoona campus grew after the announcement
The 2015 project was one point in the development of a larger campus. Meta’s current U.S. locations page lists Altoona as a data-center location, gives 2013 as the groundbreaking year, and reports more than $2.5 billion in Iowa investment and more than 400 operational jobs supported once completed. Those are company-reported campus figures, not amounts or jobs assigned specifically to the third building. Meta’s U.S. locations page.
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- Keep critical network equipment secure: glass door and side panels are lockable to prevent unauthorized access; Front door can be installed on either side of the front of the cabinet to satisfy your door swing orientation preference
- Easy equipment configuration: Fully adjustable mounting rails and numbered U positions, with square holes for easy equipment mounting with top and bottom punchout panels for easy cable access
- Durability: Made of high quality cold rolled steel holds up to 110lb (50kg) (Easy Assembly Required)
- PCI & HIPPA and EIA/ECA-310-E compliant
In December 2021, Meta announced a further two-building expansion at Altoona. The company said the expanded campus would exceed five million square feet and become the largest operational data center in its fleet when completed. Meta also reported that more than 400 people were working in data-center operations on site and said the campus would continue to be supported by 100% renewable wind energy. These statements describe the later expansion announcement and campus, not the scope of the 2015 third-building plan. Meta’s December 2021 expansion announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret the figures
The numbers refer to different things and dates. The 2015 report’s approximately 140 MW figure concerned a power purchase agreement with a nearby wind farm. Meta’s investment, jobs, square-footage and renewable-energy statements concern the broader Altoona campus or its later expansion. None of those campus-wide figures should be assigned to the single building announced in 2015.
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