Apple may chose Maiden, N.C., for facility

MAIDEN, N.C., July 6 (UPI) -- Speculation that Apple Corp. will build a $1 billion data center in Maiden, N.C., is building momentum, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported Monday.

Apple said this spring it was focusing on North Carolina as the site of a new data center. While speculation has centered on an 183-acre parcel in Maiden recently, Catawba County officials said they would make a major announcement Monday afternoon, the Observer reported.

Officials have been hush-hush on the nature of the announcement. Last week, Maiden Mayor Bob Smyre said the Catawba County Economic Development Corp. would break the news, but officials there have kept quiet about details.

The facility, which would be about 30 miles northwest of Charlotte, is expected to create 3,000 jobs within the next 10 years, the newspaper said.