Richland Parish was known for farms, quiet roads, and slow living
Richland Parish was known for farms, quiet roads, and slow living. Then Meta showed up with a $27 billion check and a data center the size of Manhattan. Now the parish of 20,000 people has gained at least 4,000 new residents, and nothing feels the same anymore .
The Hyperion campus spans 4 million square feet across 2,000 acres of former farmland . Entergy is building 10 new power plants to fuel it, adding 7,500 megawatts of capacity . Meta has signed $875 million in contracts with Louisiana businesses and employed 3,700 construction workers so far
. The tax assessor expects $30 million in property tax revenue this year alone, up from $22 million parish-wide last year . But locals say a rental that cost $600 a month now goes for $2,500. The water sometimes runs brown. The air turns hazy with dust from the construction site across the road .
The data center is expected to be operational by 2030 . For the people of Holly Ridge, the transformation is already here.
