Google says new 77,000-square-foot data center will receive no new tax incentives
"We are not seeking new tax incentives for the refurbishment.” - Google Spokesperson Leslie Schulman
Google’s original The Dalles data center campus can be confusing to identify by address. Google signage references River Trail Way and online maps may place the facility along Steelhead Way, while city land-use records and the Wasco County tax assessor identify the site of the newly approved 77,000-square-foot data center as 4200 Columbia Road. The city’s approval ties that address to tax lot 2N 13E 28 101.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Aug. 7, 2026 — Google says the 77,000-square-foot building recently approved for its original Columbia Road campus will be a data center, and the company is not seeking new property tax incentives for the redevelopment.
The clarification comes after the City of The Dalles on Aug. 3 approved a site plan application from The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. to construct an approximately 77,000-square-foot data center and supporting infrastructure at 4200 Columbia Road. Design LLC, Google's development company, is listed as the property owner.
The approval marks another step in Google's effort to refurbish its original The Dalles data center campus, which opened in 2006 and has been undergoing demolition and removal of aging electrical and mechanical equipment.
Asked by CCCNews whether the new investment in buildings and equipment would receive another tax abatement, Google spokesperson Leslie Schulman said it would not.
"We are not seeking new tax incentives for the refurbishment," Schulman said.
Google demolition at the first Google data center in the Port of The Dalles last week.
That means the new investment is expected to go through Oregon's regular property assessment process rather than being placed under a new tax incentive agreement.
Exactly how much property tax revenue the completed project could generate remains unknown.
"It is currently too early in the development to project future property taxes," Schulman said. "Once completed, the new building will be assessed and valued per the regular assessment process by the Oregon Department of Revenue."
Google also did not provide an estimate of whether the completed facility would ultimately generate more property tax revenue than the portions of the original campus being replaced.
The distinction is important because Google's first facilities in The Dalles were constructed under a long-term enterprise zone agreement that provided property tax exemptions before those facilities eventually moved onto the regular tax rolls.
Wasco County Property Taxes
Schulman said Google paid roughly $16 million in property taxes from 2022 through 2025 on its oldest facilities, which had been covered under the company's expired first long-term enterprise zone agreement.
Google has been the largest property taxpayer in Wasco County over the past several years, according to Schulman. She said the company's property tax payments have steadily increased year over year and are expected to continue increasing as Google invests in its campuses and existing tax abatements expire.
Two later long-term enterprise zone agreements covering other Google investments remain active. Schulman said those agreements are scheduled to expire in the 2031-32 and 2034-35 tax years.
By the time those abatements expire, an estimated $45.78 million in total payments will have been made to the community, Schulman said, citing Wasco County projections.
Philanthropy
Schulman said Google's economic impact in The Dalles also extends beyond property taxes and payments associated with its development agreements.
Google provided nearly $650,000 in grants to community organizations in The Dalles in 2025, and Google employees volunteered at 10 community events and environmental cleanups during the year, according to Schulman.
She also said that for every job at a Google data center, nine additional jobs are created in the local economy, citing the company's economic impact figures.
"Since our first facility was built in 2006, Google has been a long-term partner committed to Oregon's future," Schulman said.
The city's approval includes conditions that must be met before building permits are issued, including final site and construction plans, parking requirements and a wastewater review. Additional requirements apply during construction and before the new facility can begin operating.
The administrative decision may be appealed through Aug. 17.
Click here to read CCCNews’ original story on this new data center building.
