Utah’s Facebook data center deal is off

West Jordan pulled the plug Tuesday on a deal to entice Facebook to build a massive data center in Utah with the promise of a hefty tax-incentive package worth up to $260 million over 20 years.

The deal killer was a vote by the State Board of Education to approve only a scaled-down plan, capped at $100 million in tax breaks.

"Effective immediately, all negotiations between the company known as Discus and the City of West Jordan are hereby terminated. Any and all incentives and inducements preliminarily offered the company to locate in West Jordan are hereby rescinded in whole without prejudice," West Jordan City said in a press release.

West Jordan City's Council unanimously supported the agreement and the Jordan School District had followed suit, albeit with complaints that it was too generous. But Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and the County Council unanimously opposed the package as giving away too much for far too little return: an estimated 50 to 300 permanent jobs.

Read more: http://www.sltrib.com/news/4271646-155/utahs-facebook-data-center-deal-is