Microsoft has purchased a parcel of land in Silver Springs. The deal closed last month.
"Microsoft has purchased just under 274 acres of currently vacant land for $16.425 million," said Brian Armon, Senior Vice President at NAI Alliance. "And we believe there will be a technology center very similar to what Apple and Google have built within the region."
The parcel is off Highway 50 near the Silver Springs airport. It's a move the Northern Nevada Development Authority says could benefit the region as a whole.
"We're excited to see high-tech companies coming to the area," said Jeff Sutich, Executive Director of NNDA. "It's really beneficial for rural Nevada. They bring in high-paying jobs, they bring in large capital investments which create large tax revenues for the counties they land in, and the infrastructure they bring to the area helps jumpstart new community and industrial developments."
All kinds of companies are turning to Northern Nevada as they continue to grow.
"We see more and more opportunities for different jobs, higher-paying jobs, and really to diversifying communities," Armon said.
And some of the Silver State's competitive advantages are playing a big part.
"Our reliable supply of power, our competitive rates of power, green energy initiatives, our proximity to all the major western markets, our lower tax climate, and the business-friendly structure, that's all huge competitive advantages other states don't have," Sutich said. "And that helps entice companies to come to our area."
When asked about the scope of the project, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "We are continuing to expand our cloud infrastructure in response to growing customer demand. Datacenters are large-scale and complex projects. We will share more updates as the project progresses."
