Two separate proposals for data center campuses in and around Richmond, Virginia, have been deferred by local officials.
Province Group saw its project deferred by the planning commission in Powhatan County, while DC Blox saw its project deferred by planners in the City of Richmond.
Province Group sees project deferred in Midlothian
First reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Powhatan County Planning Commission this month voted to defer a final decision on a rezoning application and conditional use permit (CUP) request on an application for the Powhatan Technology Park.
As previously reported, via LC West LLC, real estate firm Province Group is requesting to rezone three parcels totaling 119.9 acres at 1318 Page Road in Midlothian from Agriculture 10 (A10) to Light Industrial (I-1) to develop three two-story data centers totaling 1.525 million square feet (139,355 sqm). The company also filed to exceed the 45-foot height limitation for principal data center structures to 75 feet.
Filings suggest the campus would total 300MW at full build-out; the site is close to a Dominion transmission line.
Several local residents spoke out against the proposals, concerned about the impact the development would have on the area.
Commissioners will need to make a recommendation during the next commission meeting on September 3, after which the application will go before county supervisors.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch notes the site’s owners, Harold and Christina Ellis, previously filed to turn the property into a mixed-use development with up to 249 detached houses and townhomes, but this was rejected in 2019. A scaled-down proposal for 180 houses and a 300,000-square-foot industrial building and a restaurant was eventually not pursued.
Province was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California. It claims to have developed, renovated, acquired, or entitled more than 75 projects with a combined value of more than $850 million. According to its website, the company has developed commercial and residential projects in its home state as well as in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Washington, and Hawaii.
Powhatan County is located directly west of Richmond.
DC Blox Richmond project deferred
Proposals for another data center project around Richmond were also deferred by local planners this week.
Richmond Bizsense reports the Henrico County Planning Commission deferred DC Blox and BWS’ proposals to develop a data center on a 27-acre flea market site in Richmond.
Its first project in Virginia, DC Blox is aiming to develop a 70,000 sq ft (6,500 sqm), 10MW facility, followed by a second building totaling 40MW and 125,000 sq ft (11,610 sqm). The property is the site of the Azalea Flea Market – BWS has owned the land since 1998.
County Staff had recommended deferral of the request to provide the applicant time to address concerns and questions outlined by staff and raised by residents at a recent community meeting. While the proposed data center use is consistent with the Light Industry designation, concerns have been raised around noise and aesthetics.
DC Blox operates facilities across Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama; and Chattanooga, Tennessee, as well as a cable landing station in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The company is planning another facility in High Point, North Carolina, and recently announced plans for a new 45MW data center campus in South Carolina's Berkeley County. It has also filed to build a cable landing station in Florida.
