Huge data center campus planned for Charles City County

Kansas-based development company Diode Ventures is planning a massive data center campus in Charles City County, about 20 miles outside of Richmond, that is estimated to create 50 to 100 full-time jobs.

The company has submitted an application to the county’s planning commission and board of supervisors to rezone five properties totaling about 515 acres to light industrial for the development of the Roxbury Technology Park campus. The site, which is about three-fifths the size of New York’s Central Park, is bordered by Charles City, CC and Roxbury roads.

A project representative said that the cost of the project is still to be determined and that an end user hasn’t been selected yet.

The application says noteworthy businesses and industrial facilities near the project include the Chaney Enterprises Concrete Plant, Tire Recycling Solutions, Davis Autosports, Charles City Timber and Mat, Bruce Howard Contracting and the Dominion Energy Chickahominy Substation.

Charles City County Director of Community Development Gary Mitchell said the county’s planning commission will hold a public hearing and vote on the rezoning application on April 10, with the Charles City County Board of Supervisors likely to take up the matter in May.

County staff recommended that the planning commission approve the project as long as some of the proffers were voluntarily adjusted. The staff report described digital commerce as “the next industrial revolution,” saying it was “vitally important” that the county be included in the new digital economy.

“This industry offers highly paid and skilled employment for the residents of Charles City County,” the report says. “It also offers the opportunity to attract more traditional commercial projects. The center does not negatively impact schools, fire and rescue, public safety, parks and recreation. In fact, it boosts the ability of these organizations to effectively and efficiently respond to county residents and businesses.”

Proffers listed in the project prohibit the use of the site for purposes such as intensive agriculture, automobile graveyards, junkyards and mining. They also establish building setbacks from boundary lines, groundwater uses and ways to mitigate noise.

County staff gave various recommendations for how to improve the proffers, including amending the hours of construction on Sundays and establishing a maximum sound (decibel) level at the property line.

If the board grants approval, Diode says it will work with local utilities and permitting agencies before proceeding with site plan approval and building permits. The company notes the project is in the “early stages of development.” According to the application, Diode estimates that design and engineering will take eight to 12 months, construction permitting approval will take four to six months and construction will take seven to 10 or more years.

In its application, the company argues tax revenue generated from the project can help expand county resources and “stimulate business and industry growth.” The project is expected to generate between 800 to 1,200 construction jobs during peak construction, according to Diode’s website. The website also says that the project will create between 50 to 100 full-time permanent jobs once operational.

Diode describes Charles City County as “an ideal location for a data center” due to land availability, overhead transmission lines, proximity to fiber networks and available workforce.

Diode says it is working with a local traffic engineer and the Virginia Department of Transportation to study traffic impact but expects minimal traffic impacts once the data centers are operational.

Founded in 2017, Diode Ventures is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. It develops infrastructure for commercial, industrial and technology sectors, specializing in clean energy and data centers. Its parent company is global engineering and construction company Black & Veatch.