Meta plans major data center in Twin Cities metro

Meta plans major data center in Twin Cities metro

Rosemount, Minn. could be the home of a new large data center run by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

A filing with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Friday confirmed Meta, through a subsidiary based in Roseville, Minn., is the company behind the $700 million data center project.

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If approved, the $700 million data center would be located on 280 acres of UMore Park property next to Dakota County Technical College and will be powered with renewable energy.

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents finance and operations committee will vote Thursday on whether to approve the $40 million land purchase.


The name of the company had been considered confidential under a trade secret exemption since Xcel Energy first filed a petition with the state to provide electricity to the proposed data center last year.

That petition indicated the data center would bring 50 full-time permanent jobs to Rosemount, along with 150 new and sustained indirect jobs.

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Rosemount mayor Jeff Weisensel would not comment specifically on Meta’s plans because of a nondisclosure agreement, but said the major project has been in the works for a while.

“This area that they are potentially purchasing has not been on the tax rolls for many years, because it's been part of the university” he told MPR News. “And so having that type of … property taxes coming to our city, yes, that would be impactful, very impactful.”


Weisensel said the project would go a long way toward helping his goal of Rosemount becoming a regional hub for innovation and emerging technologies.

If approved by the university Board of Regents, the land transaction is expected to close in early 2024, with construction beginning at some point after.