It's An Apple World Today: Reno + Mesa

Apple close to finishing second phase of Mesa command center

12 May 2017 By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox 

Apple’s Mesa command center expansion is “well underway,” sources told appleinsider, in the second phase of a 3 phase planned development in a former manufacturing plant.

Contractors are reportedly installing new equipment in the facility, and construction workers are building new roads and infrastructure to support the expansion. 

Apple decided to invest $2bn over 10 years into making it a 1.3m sq ft data center powered by its own solar farm on site. 

Incidentally, this happened around the same time that the state of Arizona expanded a $5m sales tax credit over ten years for data center providers willing to invest over $1.25bn, extended to 20 if the facility meets green standards ; in addition to already generous incentives enacted in 2013.
Months later councillors approved a law which would also exempt data center providers from the Arizona’s Transaction Privilege Tax and Use Tax. 
More information and details >>  http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ 

BLOGGER'S NOTE: Public records from the U.S. International Trade Administration suggest that there are several vacant parcels of land adjacent to the area where Apple is already building.Although the exact purpose of the second unit is unknown, the build would likely be similar to Cascade's building as project planners are said to be fielding bids from existing construction companies and material suppliers.

Source: MacRumors.com

While documents filed with the Foreign-Trade Zone Board in January suggested Apple was aiming to open the plant in February, construction is ongoing. The site does appear to be functioning in a partial capacity, however, powered by an array of temporary generators, possibly already producing sapphire for future products.

 

Apple plans major expansions at its Arizona and Nevada data centers

May 11, 2017/ Dennis Sellers

Apple is looking to beef up its services backend with major expansions at existing data centers in Arizona and Nevada, including a $1 billion investment that doubles its commitment to a Reno Technology Park facility, according to AppleInsider.

Construction of a previously planned "phase 2" addition to Apple's Mesa, Arizona, data center is underway. And the tech giant is expected to further increase the size of its Arizona data center in the near future as part of a "phase 3" expansion, adds AppleInsider

Apple is repurposing GT Advanced's former sapphire plant in Mesa to produce cabinets for its other data centers. The nature of the product is not for end users but for other global data centers what will be supported from the site.

Additionally, Apple may purchase half of a city block in downtown Reno, Nevada for a 30,000 square-foot facility. This would be the tech giant’s second major project in the city. In early 2016, Apple filed permit with Washoe County to build a new cluster of facilities adjacent to its original “Project Mills” site in Reno, Nevada, that’s dubbed “Project Huckleberry.” It apparently involves the construction of a new data center. Initial construction for the project will involve a new full shell, several data center clusters as well as a support building.