A $1.1 billion Amazon data center is coming to central Ohio, according to Gov. John Kasich. "I just met with one of the top officials at Amazon. ... They're making a billion-dollar investment in cloud computing," he said during a campaign stop in Powell this past weekend. "So, what is coming is very exciting jobs to Ohio." Asked by an audience member if the Amazon project was definitely coming here, Kasich replied, " They've already committed, yes."

A $1.1 billion Amazon data center is coming to central Ohio, according to Gov. John Kasich.

�I just met with one of the top officials at Amazon. ... They�re making a billion-dollar investment in cloud computing,� he said during a campaign stop in Powell this past weekend. �So, what is coming is very exciting jobs to Ohio.�

Asked by an audience member if the Amazon project was definitely coming here, Kasich replied, � They�ve already committed, yes.�

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved tax incentives for Vadata, a subsidiary of Amazon Web Services, worth an estimated $81 million in August.

Dublin and Hilliard have offered additional incentives to entice Amazon, and there is also a possibility Amazon is looking at an Orange Township site in Delaware County.

Amazon officials declined to comment on Kasich�s statement that the data center is coming to the area. Its statement said it is �constantly looking for opportunities to expand our geographic coverage. ... There are 11 Amazon Web Services regions around the world, four of which are in the U.S., and we are constantly evaluating a long list of additional target countries and U.S. locations.�

Rob Nichols, spokesman for Kasich, said, �I have nothing to add to what the governor said.�

Amazon�s $1.1 billion investment would be made over three years and would create 120 jobs, according to information give to the Tax Credit Authority. The jobs would pay an average of $80,000 a year.

In recent years, central Ohio has become a magnet for data and tech centers.

IBM opened its Client Center for Advanced Analytics in the Tuttle Crossing area in 2012, and Cardinal Health opened its Fuse tech center this year in Dublin. Expedient Data Centers recently announced it was building a $52 million data center in Dublin, and Compass Data Centers will build five data centers in New Albany.

Dublin has offered Amazon land valued at $6.8 million and performance incentives worth up to $500,000 over 10 years.

�We haven�t heard a word, no news from Amazon,� said Dublin spokeswoman Sue Burness.

Hilliard�s package includes a 15-year, 100 percent real-estate tax abatement valued at $5.4?m illion plus wage-tax rebates and permit fee waivers that total $200,000 more, Mayor Dan Schonhardt said.

�We haven�t heard a word from them since we approved the incentive package,� Schonhardt said. � If (Kasich) said it, I�ll presume he talked to them and is telling you like it is.�

In Orange Township, the owners of an 83-acre plot at the southwest corner of Home Road and Rt. 23 recently asked for a zoning change that would allow for a data center.

Home High owns the land, but the plans have the initials AWS on a page, indicating Amazon Web Services.

�There are a lot of rumors, but we don�t know anything,� said Orange Township Administrator Gail Messmer.

Delaware County Administrator Tim Hansley declined to comment.

Dispatch Reporter Randy Ludlow contributed to this story.

swartenberg@dispatch.com

@stevewartenberg