(06-30-2020 08:42 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  I don’t know the true ramifications from this, but I feel like it’s huge.

(06-30-2020 08:44 AM)Stay Cool Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 08:42 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  I don’t know the true ramifications from this, but I feel like it’s huge.

It'll bring jobs to Dekalb, that's honestly about it. Would be nice to get some tie in with the university with the engineering program, anything really. But honestly, I feel like it's just jobs to bring more people to Dekalb. Hopefully a younger group that would be inclined to watch college sports

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(06-30-2020 09:24 AM)timxlydon Wrote:  I’m not too optimistic that this will do much for DeKalb long term. Facebook is getting a 55% tax reduction for 20 years and this data center will only have an estimated 100 operational jobs. The general contractor, Mortenson, isn’t even an in-state company. Their headquarters is in Minneapolis.

I know we all want something to come and save our beloved NIU and DeKalb, but this ain’t it. Still, it’s interesting news nonetheless.

(06-30-2020 08:44 AM)Stay Cool Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 08:42 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  I don’t know the true ramifications from this, but I feel like it’s huge.

It'll bring jobs to Dekalb, that's honestly about it. Would be nice to get some tie in with the university with the engineering program, anything really. But honestly, I feel like it's just jobs to bring more people to Dekalb. Hopefully a younger group that would be inclined to watch college sports

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(06-30-2020 09:32 AM)Big Red Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 09:24 AM)timxlydon Wrote:  I’m not too optimistic that this will do much for DeKalb long term. Facebook is getting a 55% tax reduction for 20 years and this data center will only have an estimated 100 operational jobs. The general contractor, Mortenson, isn’t even an in-state company. Their headquarters is in Minneapolis.

I know we all want something to come and save our beloved NIU and DeKalb, but this ain’t it. Still, it’s interesting news nonetheless.

Mortenson may be headquarted in Minneapolis but where are the people coming from that are doing the actual work (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc)?

Edit: To answer my own question, or speculate, I'd guess they aren't coming from Minneapolis but they aren't necessarily coming from DeKalb either but most likely, they're coming from somewhere regionally in the Chicago to Rockford area. Which, again, that's work in Illinois which is a good thing.

(06-30-2020 11:16 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Is this part of Project Ventus or something different?

(06-30-2020 09:32 AM)Big Red Wrote:  ...but where are the people coming from that are doing the actual work (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc)?

(06-30-2020 11:26 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 11:16 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Is this part of Project Ventus or something different?

http://www.wspynews.com/news/local/facebook-building-data-center-in-dekalb/article_768d87e0-bac9-11ea-9664-ab9f05d25a2d.html

So its the company behind Project Ventus revealed. That extra tax money, even while reduced for the first 20 years, is still a huge $ bump to Dekalb. "Even with the tax break, city officials have said the tax revenue from the data center over the next two decades will exceed that of the Target warehouse, Nestlé, 3M, Goodyear and Panduit combined."

I think it opens up some great NIU internship opportunities, I remember an article about "Ventus" mentioning that NIU was one of the major draws for the location decision. I'd guess that FaceBook is the kind of company that will lavish the occasional perk on NIU and Dekalb, just for community PR reasons if nothing else. I'm sure they will do tech/environmental research tie-ins as well (they will be LEED certified). Facebook stadium would be cool, but I'd think you'd at least see a FB suite in the improved stadium if it finally lands

Many positives here for NIU and Dekalb. Maybe this will draw more tech to Dekalb's industrial corridor....

(06-30-2020 01:23 PM)Huckin Fuskie Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 09:32 AM)Big Red Wrote:  ...but where are the people coming from that are doing the actual work (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc)?

Traditionally (pre-Great Recession), when cities had large building projects, they experienced a flood of low-skilled undocumented construction workers, who stayed for many years afterward, needing free or low-cost public services (schools, hospitals, churches, etc.). While DeKalb's economic development folks probably gave FB tax credits and other incentives for bringing 100 "good-paying" post-construction jobs to the city, I doubt they mandated that FB's contractors had to document that every painter, plumber, electrician, landscaper, drywaller, etc. had a Social Security Number, with preference given to local contractors hired at prevailing local wages.

These recent large projects coming to DeKalb could really change the demographic and socioeconomic makeup of the city for decades to com.

Americans need to make a choice - you can't be anti-union and anti-immigrant at the same time if you want people to earn living (not fair) wages. Otherwise, you'll pay higher taxes one way or the other.

(06-30-2020 01:23 PM)Huckin Fuskie Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 09:32 AM)Big Red Wrote:  ...but where are the people coming from that are doing the actual work (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc)?

Traditionally (pre-Great Recession), when cities had large building projects, they experienced a flood of low-skilled undocumented construction workers, who stayed for many years afterward, needing free or low-cost public services (schools, hospitals, churches, etc.). While DeKalb's economic development folks probably gave FB tax credits and other incentives for bringing 100 "good-paying" post-construction jobs to the city, I doubt they mandated that FB's contractors had to document that every painter, plumber, electrician, landscaper, drywaller, etc. had a Social Security Number, with preference given to local contractors hired at prevailing local wages.

These recent large projects coming to DeKalb could really change the demographic and socioeconomic makeup of the city for decades to com.

Americans need to make a choice - you can't be anti-union and anti-immigrant at the same time if you want people to earn living (not fair) wages. Otherwise, you'll pay higher taxes one way or the other.

On the bright side, FB is building in a university town, which is probably not a coincidence. It makes it easier for them to do research, beta test products, hire tech workers, etc. That means FB might do some investing in NIU. I can't imagine they won't also be sponsoring some NIU events/activities/facilities/etc.

(06-30-2020 01:29 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 01:23 PM)Huckin Fuskie Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 09:32 AM)Big Red Wrote:  ...but where are the people coming from that are doing the actual work (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc)?

Traditionally (pre-Great Recession), when cities had large building projects, they experienced a flood of low-skilled undocumented construction workers, who stayed for many years afterward, needing free or low-cost public services (schools, hospitals, churches, etc.). While DeKalb's economic development folks probably gave FB tax credits and other incentives for bringing 100 "good-paying" post-construction jobs to the city, I doubt they mandated that FB's contractors had to document that every painter, plumber, electrician, landscaper, drywaller, etc. had a Social Security Number, with preference given to local contractors hired at prevailing local wages.

These recent large projects coming to DeKalb could really change the demographic and socioeconomic makeup of the city for decades to com.

Americans need to make a choice - you can't be anti-union and anti-immigrant at the same time if you want people to earn living (not fair) wages. Otherwise, you'll pay higher taxes one way or the other.

Are you suggesting that Facebook is going to build this muli-million dollar structure on the backs of underpaid, undocumented immigrants who will never leave DeKalb once the project is completed?

Because, if you're not...you lost me somewhere in there.