The King of Social Networking, Facebook, heads to Central Oregon
January 22, 2010
In 2008, a client brought us 124 acres of dry sagebrush and juniper outside of Prineville, Oregon. Even at that time, the effects of what would be the current recession were being felt. Prices were plummeting, buyers were evaporating, and companies were beginning to announce lay-offs and closures. In particular, land prices were proving to be extremely susceptible to the snowballing decline. Kerry O’Neal, principal broker of Strategic Realty, studied the situation, stomped around the sagebrush, and informed the seller that we would do whatever it took to find a buyer for his property.
Fast-forward to the present, and you can now see the results of those efforts. Facebook, the largest social networking site in the world, is building its first data center ever outside of Prineville, Oregon, on that same 124 acres of sagebrush. This data center will house the webpages where people reconnect friends, colleagues, and family. Strategic Realty is proud to have played our role in moving this giant to the region.
Data centers are state-of-the-art, climate controlled facilities which house the thousands of computers needed to run international websites like Facebook. They can require immense amounts of electricity, communications connectivity, and water. The availability of these resources determine the most economical location for investment.
The impact on the local economy will be significant.
Kerry O'Neal has been a licensed broker for over 14 years. He has worked with residential, commercial, and industrial properties in the Central Oregon area for over 5 years. 
Josh grew up in a Portland real estate family. He was buying and selling rental homes and income properties, and managing large multi-family complexes, when most of his contemporaries were just beginning their careers. 
