Apple Preps for NC Data Center Launch, Paid $1.7 Million to Couple for 1-Acre Plot

[MacRumors]

Bloomberg reports that Apple has paid a North Carolina couple $1.7 million for their modest home on one acre of land in a deal to enable the company to build its $1 billion data center in the town of Maiden.

Apple Inc. needed land owned by Donnie and Kathy Fulbright for a $1 billion data center in rural North Carolina. The couple showed no interest in moving out of their home of 34 years in the town of Maiden.

The Fulbrights say they spurned one offer, then a second. Finally, they agreed to sell for $1.7 million, county records show, opting to leave the single-story house on the less than one acre of land they purchased for $6,000.

The Fulbrights have used the proceeds of the sale to purchase a 4,200-square-foot house on a 49-acre property.

Meanwhile, Apple appears to be continuing to ramp up staffing for the new data center, with nine new job postings going up earlier this week, primarily focusing on weekend shift positions. Apple made a hiring push earlier this year as it sought to line up staff in advance of the data center's opening and has continued posting occasional job listings in the intervening months, but this week's batch seems to be the largest in many months.




Apple announced during its July earnings conference call that the new data center will be operational by the end of the year. While the company has not announced what the new capacity will be used for, observers have speculated that it may be used for cloud-based storage of users' music and video content, as well as for streaming of video content such as on the new Apple TV.

Article Link: Apple Preps for NC Data Center Launch, Paid $1.7 Million to Couple for 1-Acre Plot

[markfc]

should have held out for more...

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by markfc

should have held out for more...

Risky, in case Apple finds another stretch of land to build their data centre. Can you imagine how you would kick yourself if you had refused a $1.7 million offer and then the offer is gone?

[johnnymg]

Should turn this into a reality TV show ........... ala the Clampett's move to Beverly Hills.

[Small White Car]

Free MobileMe for all iOS devices?

Remote Time Machine for every Mac? (Like Mozy?)

Virtual Cheesecake??

The possibilites are endless!

[Consultant]

I would guess operational next year?

[shartypants]

1.7M + two free iPhones every time a new model comes out!

[Gasu E.]

I've had enough of these real estate squatters and land trolls. I think if someone owns a piece of valuable land and doesn't develop it within 2 years, they should lose the rights to that land. It's ridiculous for Apple and others to have to pay these ransoms.

/satire

[Consultant]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

Free MobileMe for all iOS devices?

Remote Time Machine for every Mac? (Like Mozy?)

Virtual Cheesecake??

The possibilites are endless!

Yum, virtual cheesecakes. They should be made by lolcats.

[cvaldes]

Originally Posted by johnnymg

Should turn this into a reality TV show ........... ala the Clampett's move to Beverly Hills.

$1.7 million doesn't buy you all that much in Beverly Hills these days.

[flopticalcube]

Originally Posted by Small White Car;

Free MobileMe for all iOS devices?

Remote Time Machine for every Mac? (Like Mozy?)

Virtual Cheesecake??

The possibilites are endless!

Free? Apple? Does not compute.

[kingtj]

.. Apple didn't run to the govt. and have the couple's home seized under "eminent domain", claiming they were obstructing an important project that would bring in needed jobs and tax revenue to all the locals!

That seems to be the new "standard" for robbing people of their property rights these days ....

[heyydude]

What if Apple decided some "PayBack" was in order, and is now going to get into the Search business a la Google?

Just a thought... Seems like Google has used their access to Apple to stick it to them over the last couple of years, maybe Steve is mad enough to want some revenge.

I'd pop some popcorn over this one...

[Mac-Mariachi]

The Fulbrights have used the proceeds of the sale to purchase a 4,200-square-foot house on a 49-acre property.


They should´ve gotten some Apple Stock.

[MTShipp]

That couple is VERY lucky. Using eminent domain, the county/State could have taken their land from them and given them fair market value. It happens a lot when big businesses move in (ex. Walmart).

Business tells gov't that the taxes collected outweigh the residential value and BAMM!, it's whisked away from the owner.

[MTShipp]

Originally Posted by Mac-Mariachi

They should´ve gotten some Apple Stock.

They can afford a few shares now

[cvaldes]

Originally Posted by flopticalcube

Free? Apple? Does not compute.

Sure. They have a couple of free songs and a few videos to download from the iTunes Store every week.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by flopticalcube

Free? Apple? Does not compute.

Well, "free for 2 years" with the purchase of a product that ranges from $229 to $829.

Does that seem more plausible?

[cvaldes]

Originally Posted by Consultant

I would guess operational next year?

Apple said it would be operational by the end of this year. It's in the article above (last paragraph).

[spice weasel]

Originally Posted by MTShipp

That couple is VERY lucky. Using eminent domain, the county/State could have taken their land from them and given them fair market value. It happens a lot when big businesses move in (ex. Walmart).

Business tells gov't that the taxes collected outweigh the residential value and BAMM!, it's whisked away from the owner.

Yup, a la Kelo v New London. It's disgusting. But at least in this case Maiden, NC did not attempt eminent domain proceedings and the couple was paid very handsomely.

But who the hell needs 4,200 sq. feet for just two people?

[gleepskip]

Originally Posted by Consultant

I would guess operational next year?

I must have Star Wars on the brain. Your rhetorical question somehow made me visualize the conversation aboard the Death Star when Tarkin says,

"Prince Ballmer, before your dismisal I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No operating system will dare oppose the Emperor now.

"In a way, you have determined the choice of the OS that'll be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Win7 code base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power... on Windows Phone 7."

[foofan]

anyone who should suggest that eminent domain should be used to take away someone's home so some rich developer can have it , is a royal piece of garbage.

There is so much open land in this country, they can go elsewhere. Let them open a data center in the middle of north dakota.

Same thing happened in New London, CT. After developer got land, they changed their mind cause of recession.

On the flip side, these people probably dont know what to do with this amount of money. i bet they blow through it, and one day will not have anything left but some high property tax bill they cant afford.

[BobbyCarbn]

Apple does the right thing here and still the trolls emerge from under the bridge....

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by johnnymg

Should turn this into a reality TV show ........... ala the Clampett's move to Beverly Hills.

Perhaps you're just making this comment in jest. But it reeks of snobbery to imply that because they lived in NC and lived modestly that they are automatically akin to the Clampetts.

[NebulaClash]

Originally Posted by BobbyCarbn

Apple does the right thing here and still the trolls emerge from under the bridge....

Yup, Apple does the free market honorable thing, and gets little credit. If they had used the eminent domain deal, they would be slammed. That's the Apple way. Do good and it's "eh." Do bad and it's "evil."