BUFFALO, W.Va. — Google’s investments and commitment to improving Putnam County have impressed local officials.
Google acquired 1,700 acres of land on both sides of Route 62 in Buffalo in March to construct a data center. Last week, Google announced the first round of investments in the community. The company worked with the Putnam County Development Authority (PCDA) to determine organizations that could receive funding.
“Those included our school system, our seniors, and emergency services,” PCDA Executive Director Morganne Tenney told MetroNews. “This is only the beginning. This is a very small introduction to what Google plans to bring to Putnam County.”
Google pledged funding to Buffalo Elementary and High Schools, George Washington Elementary and Middle Schools, the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department, and the Buffalo Senior Center during the first wave.
Tenney said she’s been in economic development for nearly a decade and has never seen the level of commitment that Google has shown. She noted that no other company posted their site plan before receiving their permit, but that’s what Google did.
“That’s the level of transparency they’re trying,” Tenney said. “Currently, that is a difficult situation for them to be in, because they want to be transparent. They actually announced this project before groundbreaking and that is the first time they have ever done this in Google’s history.”
Tenney said Google turned to the PCDA for tips to help the area. She said the authority presented ideas on where the company could impact the community “in a big way.”
“Putnam County Development Authority is extremely grateful for the opportunity to have a seat at the table with Google,” Tenney said. “They want to make a positive impact in Putnam County and West Virginia as a state.”
Google’s approach to Buffalo displays its commitment to the community, Tenney noted.
“I think that they gave all this money to specific needs in Buffalo shows that they do want to be a good corporate partner,” Tenney said. “Because frankly, it would have been much simpler for them to stroke one check to one charity and been done with it. But instead, they actually came to the table, asked what the needs were in the community and then they helped to fill some of those.”
Google has also been forthcoming about its site plan, Tenney reiterated. She said that the data center website, buffalowvdatacenter.com allows the community to see what’s being proposed. She added that interested residents can submit questions online that they may have about the project. All in all, Tenney admitted that Google has been impressive.
“The amount of transparency that they have brought to the table before even putting a shovel in the ground has been enlightening,” Tenney said.
Tenney said that Google closed on the property March 26. Then, within 36 hours, Google announced its investment to the community. She said this is a first for Google, as it typically makes a formal announcement after a groundbreaking, after a permit has been received, and when crews are ready to start building.
She said Google doesn’t have all the answers yet, as the company is waiting on the Army Corp of Engineers to see what will be allowed with permitting and water. That said, she noted that the company is doing its level best to be transparent.
Additionally, Tenney said the data center isn’t just about Google. She said the company wants grow West Virginia in the process.
“They’ve been very clear, they don’t just want to build a workforce for Google, they want to build a workforce for West Virginia,” Tenney said. “They’re even asking questions of, ‘how can we lean in to helping the healthcare industry or manufacturing industry?’ They’re coming with workforce dollars as well.”