City Council provides update on potential Meta data center in Northeast El Paso  

EL PASO, TX (KVIA) — El Paso City Council is set to discuss the status of a potential Meta data center in Northeast El Paso during their meeting today. This will provide an update on a project that could bring significant investment and job creation to the region.  

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, bought approximately 1,039 acres of land along Stan Roberts Sr. Avenue, near U.S. Highway 54 on December 29, 2023 for $8.5 million. 

In December 2023, council approved an agreement offering Meta property tax incentives. If the company invests at least $800 million in construction and equipment for the project’s first phase, it will qualify for annual property tax rebates of up to 80% over 15 years. The agreement allows for up to five phases, with the potential for $2.8 billion in capital investment over 25 years.  

If Meta moves forward, the project is expected to create at least 50 full-time jobs and hundreds of temporary construction jobs during the building phases. As part of the deal and sale of the land, Meta has committed to investing $5 million in infrastructure improvements, including enhancements to Stan Roberts Sr. Avenue, within the next five years.

A data center is a facility that houses computer systems and servers, supporting large-scale digital operations such as Facebook and Instagram. Meta established a similar facility in Los Lunas, New Mexico in 2016. That facility sits 750 acres, employs over 400 people, and represents a $2 billion investment.  

City and county leaders, along with the Borderplex Alliance, are working to support the tech-giant in the El Paso. After city council’s meeting last year, Mayor Oscar Leeser called it “a significant milestone in our technological evolution” and a step toward positioning El Paso as a hub for innovation and job creation.  

Today’s council meeting could reveal updates on the project’s timeline and whether Meta plans to move forward with construction.  

Stay with ABC-7 for updates on this developing story.