Google Buys Old Mayes County Gatorade Plant

Google hit the search button and found more space in Mayes County. The Internet giant bought the old Gatorade plant at the MidAmerica Industrial Park.

It's 1.4 million square feet of space that has remained empty since 2010. The massive building was home to Gatorade for four years, but in May 2010, 108 employees were let go and the facility was shut down.

It was announced Tuesday that Google has purchased the building and all of the space. Google said its plans for the site are still to be determined and it's too early to talk about potential jobs, but, in the meantime, it'll serve as parking and storage.

"This has been an idle asset for a number of years, and to have Google make the decision to acquire it and then integrate it into their business is huge for us," said chief administrator of the MidAmerica Industrial Park, David Stewart.

Google has been in the industrial park since 2011, when it first opened its data center. Soon after, it opened a second building and now construction crews are working on a third.

10/17/2012 Related Story: Google Gives Virtual Tour Of Pryor Data Center

A Google spokesperson said this about its Oklahoma footprint: "When we search for a data center site, we have very specific criteria, such as the caliber of the workforce, the right business climate and the infrastructure to support the power and technical needs of our operations. Mayes County and MidAmerica Industrial Park fit the bill and have surpassed our expectations."

Stewart said Google's construction projects seem to get bigger each year.

"I don't think it'll ever be finished, to be perfectly honest," Stewart said. "Google has made a substantial investment here, and I just don't see it stopping."

Stewart said Google's latest purchase is a clear sign of the health of the industrial park. Eighty companies with 3,400 employees have space there.

"If you look at the number of people that work here, you'd have to say that it's a huge economic benefit to the region to have this park here," he said.

And there is still room to grow at the industrial park. Stewart said 4,000 acres of land have yet to be developed.