Roundup: Apple's North Carolina Project

Several reports have noted Apple's refusal to confirm that Maiden will be the site for the new facility. That's because the land is still being acquired. The Catawba County Economic Development Corp. has an option to purchase the 183-acre site off Route 321, according to executive director Scott Millar, who told the Charlotte Observer that the EDC plans buy the land at market value from its current owner and then sell it to Apple at the same price.

North Carolina officials are hoping they can leverage the one-two punch of hosting huge data centers for the two hottest technology companies. Google has a large data center complex in Lenoir in Caldwell County. "Having Google and Apple here can absolutely put this region on the world map," Caldwell County manager Bobby White told the Hickory Record. "I hope the two counties and the involved municipalities will be able to cooperate on some joint marketing ventures. It's a great marketing tool."

The Observer looks at the pitched competition among between four North Carolina counties hoping to land the data center project, with a closer look at the aggressive incentives from Cleveland County.