Microsoft recently confirmed to NBC4 that construction has begun on its datacenter campus in Licking County.
Last year, Microsoft purchased 227 acres in Heath for over $32 million, bringing the software developer’s total land owned in Licking County to over 700 acres.
Despite not being constructed under any kind of agreement, Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council Dorsey Hager estimates the project will create between 600 and 800 jobs for union construction workers, which includes members of Sheet Metal Workers Local 24.
Sheet Metal Workers can work in many areas. While working on datacenters, Sheet Metal Workers mostly perform HVAC and duct work. They are also responsible for working on the exterior metal panels.
The timeline for the Microsoft project is between 18 and 24 months.
Hager is excited about another datacenter coming to Central Ohio, as it welcomes more work opportunities for affiliated locals, including Sheet Metal Workers Local 24.
SMW Local 24 members at Intel
Although it took longer than initially expected, over 1,000 tradesmen and tradeswomen are currently on-site at the Intel project in New Albany.
Hager anticipates roughly 2,500 workers will be on-site by the end of the year. He also believes that once work begins on the parking garage, office building and water treatment plant, between 9,000 and 10,000 tradesmen and tradeswomen could be on site.
Between 600 and 700 jobs will be created for Local 24 members.
Phase I of the Intel project is now scheduled to be completed by 2027.
New projects on the horizon
The City of Columbus is preparing to expand the capacity of its water and wastewater treatment facilities due to the expected population boom east of the City.
Last month, the Columbus City Council finalized a budget to build a new wastewater treatment facility, which will break ground in late 2025 or early 2026.
This project, which is likely to be built under a Community Benefits Agreement, will have a budget of around $1.2 billion.
The number of jobs this project will create has not been announced yet.