New FBI data center would add 300 jobs in Pocatello

Hundreds of jobs are coming to Pocatello. That’s with the expansion of the Federal Bureau Investigation Center on Pole Line Road. Earlier this year, the proposal was given by the FBI’s Financial Division in Washington D.C. for the expansion.

According to Executive Director of the Bannock County Development Corp., John Regets, there will be a total of 300 jobs up for grabs in the 100,000 square foot facility expansion.

“It’s going to be an expansion of the existing facility. They’ve been working back and forth on this for the past oh, 4 to 5 years,” said Councilman Steve Brown, City Of Pocatello.

The facility will cost $10 million to complete, and will be funded by a federal allocation to the FBI. Regets says it makes sense as to why they would build it in Pocatello, as opposed to anywhere else.

“Well I think they just had the availability on site of property. So, they took a look at the facility to accommodate labor and talent base to provide training at ISU. And just the resources we have available here. So, it just made better sense for them,” said Regets.

Coucilman steve brown says these are technology jobs that are being offered. And the hiring process has already begun. He has been following the project more closely ever since the announcement of its proposal. According to Brown, there will also be administrative jobs available as well. Jobs in general will have an estimated pay of $60,000 a year.

“And if we think of the multiplier effect on that, you know, the 300 news jobs, by that average wage, potentially $36 million dollars a year would be the economic impact that we can see,” said Regets.

Regets says with these new jobs, things like housing and car sales may go hand in hand to also boost the economy even more.

The development of the expansion will begin this Summer and be completed by Spring of next year.