The Daily Dig:
Meta just picked up another 1,400 acres next to its Hyperion data center site in Richland Parish, Louisiana, bringing the total footprint to around 3,650 acres. The project started as a $10 billion play for a multimillion square foot AI campus.
Meta's running this through a joint venture with Blue Owl Capital. The JV pegs total development costs at roughly $27 billion, covering power, cooling, and connectivity infrastructure built to last, with Blue Owl funds holding 80% and Meta keeping 20%. Separately, Entergy is planning three new natural gas plants nearby, estimated at about $3 billion, to feed the power demand.
Project Snapshot:
Owner / Developer: Meta Platforms, Inc.
Project: Hyperion Data Center Campus
Sector: Data Center / Mission Critical (AI infrastructure)
Location: Richland Parish, Louisiana
Original Site Size: 2,250 acres
Site Expansion: 1,400 acres added
Total Land Position: 3,650 acres
Planned Facility Size: 4,000,000 SF campus
Value / Financing: $10B initial project; $27B total development costs under JV
JV Structure: Blue Owl funds 80% / Meta 20% ownership
Capital Contributions: $7B Blue Owl cash contribution; $3B one-time distribution to Meta
General Contractor: DPR Construction + Turner Construction Company + M. A. Mortenson (JV, unconfirmed)
Electrical Contractors: Aldridge Electric; Faith Technologies; MMR Group (unconfirmed, industry chatter)
Power / Infrastructure: Entergy planning three nearby natural gas plants ($3B)
Workforce: 5,000+ peak construction workers; 500 permanent operational jobs
Timeline / Status: Construction started late 2024; long-term campus build-out underway; final operational timing not fully confirmed
TheJobWalk Thoughts:
That land grab keeps future phases in play, and the Blue Owl partnership spreads risk while keeping the funding flexible. For contractors and suppliers, don't expect one massive award. This will roll out in phases: civil and utilities first, then electrical distribution, then envelope and interiors as each building gets the green light. Some of the team names are still unofficial, but the structure alone makes this one of the bigger AI infrastructure opportunities you'll see through the end of the decade. If your shop can handle repeat engagements and phased mobilization, it's worth the BD effort.
