Amazon Web Services to build new datacenter campus in Fayette County

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that Fayette County will be the next location where it plans to establish a datacenter campus, marking a significant step in its $10 billion investment across the state. 

This move will see AWS inject $5 billion into Fayette County by 2030, further cementing its presence in Ohio. 

The new megaproject will be strategically positioned on approximately 590 acres near the intersection of Interstate 71 and U.S. Route 35, neighboring the $3.5 billion Honda/LG electric vehicle battery plant. 

This expansion builds on AWS’s previous commitment of $7.8 billion, adding to the more than $6 billion invested through 2022.

By 2030, AWS’s total investment in Ohio will surpass $23 billion, making it the second-largest investment by a private sector company in the state’s history, following Intel. 

Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, highlighted the job creation potential of the project. 

The project is expected to generate up to 1,500 construction jobs for union workers in the area, according to Hager. 

“We are excited Amazon has chosen to invest in Fayette County,” Hager said. “With the construction of the Honda/LG project, the building trades have proven their commitment to providing a highly skilled workforce with the capabilities of taking on another megaproject.” 

New campus to be built under a CRA Agreement 

To facilitate this development, the Fayette County Commissioners have approved a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Agreement with AWS. 

This agreement provides a 30-year, 100 percent tax exemption for new structures on the project site, encouraging further investment and job creation. 

The datacenter campuses will host one or more datacenters along with various facilities, offices and utility buildings. 

These datacenters will house computer servers, data storage drives, networking equipment and other technology infrastructure essential for cloud computing, including AI and machine learning capabilities. 

Construction is slated to begin in early 2025, though additional project details remain under wraps. 

As AWS continues to expand its footprint, the datacenter campus in Fayette County promises to bring substantial economic growth and technological advancement to the region.