$10 billion Amazon Web Services center coming to Madison County
A $10 billion Amazon Web Services center that will generate 1,000 new jobs is coming to Madison County at two sites, Gov. Tate Reeves announced this week.
Reeves called a special session of the Legislature for today (Thursday) to pass an incentive package that includes $44 million from the state and a $215 million loan from the state to Madison County.
The name of the company was released today after the Legislature adopted the package.
The investment by AWS is the single largest capital investment in Mississippi history and four times the size of the previous largest economic development project.
“The size of this new investment is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before,” Reeves said at a Wednesday press conference. “It’s the single, largest capital investment that has ever been made in the state of Mississippi — by a lot.”
Reeves said the investment is four times larger than the second largest project — Steel Dynamics located in Lowndes County at $2.5 billion.
Reeves called this project a “game changer” not only for the county and metro but for the entire state.
“This is a big deal and together we have an amazing opportunity to put another win in the books for our state,” he said.
Speaker of the House Jason White said it was exciting to be a part of the project.
“No doubt Mississippi is open for diverse, dynamic, and dedicated businesses,” he said.
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said the project wasn’t a result of getting lucky, but a result of all the work the state has done in recent years such as cutting taxes, investing in infrastructure, and raising graduation rates.
“We’ve earned this,” he said. “It’s really just the start. We’re looking forward to the session and expediting this through the Mississippi Senate.”
Entergy Mississippi is building three new substations and that investment isn’t counted in the $10 billion, meaning this project will have widespread implications.
“They have worked relentlessly on this project,” Reeves said, adding capital investment could be expanding to Hinds County, Washington County and other parts of the Delta as a result.
The incentive package includes $44 million in state appropriations, of which $32 million will go toward jobs training, Reeves said.
Madison County will borrow $215.1 million from the state at a 4 percent interest rate that will go toward infrastructure. The company will pay a fee in lieu of taxes which will go toward paying down the note. It is unknown at this time how much ad valorem revenue will be generated until the fee-in-lieu agreement is executed but millions of dollars will be poured into Madison County, the Canton Public School District, and Madison County School.
Reees said the largest portion of that will be $171.5 million for a brand-new sewer system. Beatties Bluff, the current wastewater facility located on the Big Black River is near capacity.
Another $15 million will be spent on grounds around the sites and $14.8 million on water systems.
The first site will be in the Madison County Mega Site located off Highway 22 and Nissan Parkway.
The second location is known as the Costas property, which is 786 acres located along the southern boundary of Madison County near Tougaloo College on the corner of Highland Colony Parkway and West County Line Road.
Reeves intimated that $10 billion could be just the beginning of the investment for this property, with the sites estimated to be completed by 2027.
“We are excited that Mississippi has been selected for this massive, world-class technology project,” state Rep. Jill Ford said. “This is further evidence that Mississippi is open for business and can compete on a global scale. I’m ecstatic that Madison County will serve as the anchor for this transformational investment.”