Facebook Data Center Is Boon for Oregon Town

Internet Giant Brings More Than Jobs to Prineville as It Mulls Expansion; Free High School Uniforms and Dental Care

Facebook Inc. http://www.facebook.com is contemplating the expansion of a data-center project in Prineville, Ore., that already covers an area equivalent to five football fields, underlining the social-networking service’s need to accommodate a rapidly growing number of users.

Meanwhile, Facebook is seeking to build bonds with the surrounding community. It’s an effort that’s had the company throwing a barbecue for locals, providing free dental care for area children and donating uniforms for high school sports teams.

Facebook’s Prineville project demonstrates ways the seven-year-old company is growing up, taking on significant additional costs, and making an effort to form bonds with a growing network of constituents. It’s a process that companies of all stripes, from manufacturers to miners, have had to navigate.

By JOHN LETZING

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