Meta Pledges $50 Million for New Sacramento State Campus Downtown

The tech giant's investment aims to transform unused state office space into a hub for innovation and education.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 9:07pm

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Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms, has pledged $50 million to help build a new Sacramento State University campus in downtown Sacramento. The campus will be located on the site of old, unused state office buildings and will include student housing, a school of public affairs, and an AI research center.

Why it matters

This partnership between Meta and Sacramento State University is seen as a major boost for the city's downtown, which has struggled with vacant state office buildings and reduced foot traffic due to remote work. The new campus is expected to drive innovation, attract students and faculty, and revitalize the area around the California State Capitol.

The details

The new Sacramento State campus will be built on the site of old, unused state office buildings in the Capitol Mall corridor. The university has already released renderings of their vision for the site, which includes student housing, a school of public affairs, and an AI research center. Meta's $50 million investment will go towards demolition of the old buildings and entitlements for the new construction.

  • Meta and Sacramento State announced the partnership on January 30, 2026.
  • There is currently no timeline for the completion of the new campus, as the next step will be requests for bids from developers.

The players

Meta

The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms, which is providing $50 million in funding for the new Sacramento State campus.

Sacramento State University

The public university that will be building the new downtown campus with Meta's investment, aiming to expand its presence and offerings in the state capital.

Luke Wood

The president of Sacramento State University, who says the partnership will help expand the university to the Capitol Mall corridor.

Mark Zuckerberg

The CEO of Meta, who issued a statement saying the company is "proud to call California home" and is "excited to work with Governor Newsom and Sacramento State to drive innovation in our state capital."

Kevin McCarty

The mayor of Sacramento, who has been working on creating a reuse plan for downtown state office space and is "very optimistic" about the Meta partnership.

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What they’re saying

“If we're not preparing students for AI, then we're not preparing them for the future, right? And it wasn't planned with this, but it's aligned with this.”

— Luke Wood, President, Sacramento State University

“Meta is proud to call California home and we're excited to work with Governor Newsom and Sacramento State to drive innovation in our state capital... I believe these investments will help strengthen our communities and support the next generation of leaders and innovators.”

— Mark Zuckerberg

“Having something good to happen around here will be the best news ever.”

— Debbie Rajkumar, Business Owner, Cafe Connection

What’s next

The next step will be requests for bids from developers to begin the construction of the new Sacramento State campus.

The takeaway

This partnership between Meta and Sacramento State University represents a significant investment in the future of California's state capital, transforming unused state office space into a hub for innovation, education, and economic revitalization. The new campus is expected to attract students, faculty, and businesses, while also addressing the challenges of remote work and vacant downtown buildings.