Construction of an eight-building data campus in the I-20/59 industrial park is already making an impact in the local economy.
More than 1,050 workers are on site according to Tuesday’s count, and hotels, restaurants and other local businesses are benefiting from having more people shopping, eating and staying in the area.
Data from Visit Meridian show the average data center worker spends an average of $33.17 per day on meals, $48 per day on shopping, $58 per day on fuel and $107.58 per day on hotel rooms. That comes out to approximately $246.75 per person or a total impact of $259,087.50 daily.
Compared to last year, hotel room costs are up 6.8%, and total hotel revenue is up 19.5%. Occupancy rates for local hotels are also up by 11.4%.
Spending by data center workers is a direct economic impact, however there is also indirect impact and induced impact. Indirect impact, or supply-chain effects, come when businesses workers visit invest in more merchandise, supplies or services from local companies. Induced impact comes from employees serving workers in shops, restaurants and other industries spend their paychecks in the community.
Each of the eight data centers in the data campus is expected to be approximately 250,000 square feet. Work on the first two has already begun, with the anticipated completion of the first building near the end of the year. In total, the project represents roughly $10 billion in investment in Lauderdale County.
In addition to those helping in construction of the data centers, the project will create an estimated 300 permanent jobs.