Meta Acquires Land for Hyperion AI Expansion, Targeting Data Center Footprint Twice That of New Orleans Airport

Meta (META-US) has acquired approximately 1,400 acres in Richland Parish, adjacent to its Hyperion AI data center complex, to support expansion. The consolidated site is expected to exceed 2,250 acres—more than twice the size of New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport—according to sources familiar with the project. The acquisition, finalized in March–April 2026, is part of the Hyperion Phase 2 expansion, with early signs of site preparation including utility markings, heavy equipment, and construction permits. The company has not commented on the acquisition, though it had previously said the project would be a long-term, multi-phase venture. Meta Compute, a newly formed strategic unit under Meta, is leading the infrastructure initiative, with a Blue Owl Capital–backed joint venture financing, constructing, and operating the complex. The Hyperion project’s overall development is estimated at $27 billion, with Meta planning to achieve tens of gigawatts of compute capacity in the decade ahead.