A developer's plan to rezone 622 acres of land for the East Henrico Technology Park has been given its first seal of approval by the Henrico Planning Commission.
Developer Hooligan is promoting the project as an extension of the nearby White Oak Technology Park, with plans to include a data center as well. This site is bisected by E. Williamsburg Road at its intersection with Technology Boulevard.
Colocation data center facilities include server space used by multiple companies, government agencies, and other entities, as opposed to enterprise data centers like Meta or Amazon, which are built and managed entirely by one company. It will be.
Environmentalists and local historians opposed the expansion of the tech park. Environmentalists have questioned aspects of the park, such as emissions and its impact on the natural environment, while historians say the plan would destroy the remains of an important Civil War battlefield.
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Hourigan's request for rezoning includes data centers and advanced manufacturing uses, but preliminary drawings show up to 13 buildings, all of which would be data centers.
There are seven buildable areas on the site, and the final number of buildings will be between 10 and 13, according to developer representatives.
The need for new data centers is growing around the world, and Central Virginia is becoming a hotspot for these new facilities. Henrico and Hanover counties, in particular, are perfectly poised for this type of project due to their location along global data hubs.
Undersea fiber-optic cables (two from Europe and one from South America) will land in Virginia Beach and travel west along Interstate 64 to eastern Henrico County and then into northern Virginia.
Henrico County has geared a significant portion of its economic development strategy toward attracting data centers to be built within the county's borders. One of the big attractions is the influx of tax revenue it brings.
Henrico County's current 16 data centers will generate more than $13 million in tax revenue in 2023, according to a county staff report. His recently approved 1,200-acre park in Hanover County will bring in an estimated $1.8 billion in tax revenue over 20 years, according to county projections.
Board Chair Tyrone Nelson, who also represents the Planning Commission, used the word “transformative” when talking about potential tax revenue.
Planners ruled against approving the project, noting that the data center would have a lower overall noise and traffic impact than other industrial uses such as distribution centers, but that it would not lead to significant job creation once it was operational. Recommended.
One of the biggest criticisms of data centers is their use of vast amounts of resources and the risk that residents will end up paying for those costs in their utility bills.
Hourigan said the company is paying for the water infrastructure connected to the site, but Dominion Energy is working to get approval for a 5-mile, 230-kilovolt transmission line to serve the tech park. I'm here. The transmission line is expected to cost about $44.6 million, according to documents filed by the energy giant with the National Corporation Commission.
“Virginia is the data center capital of the world, which means we essentially pay for the world's internet,” said Paige Weslink of the Sierra Club. “We are not putting any safeguards in place for our people…If we continue to accept the proposed developments, we will have an energy crisis that will only hurt fossil fuel production across the state. Not just our health, but our bills as well.”
Water usage is another concern. According to developers, older data centers used thousands of gallons of water each day to cool servers, and in some cases more than a million gallons.
Hourigan said the technology has become more efficient over time. Currently, the facility uses air cooling and requires water primarily for sinks, fire protection, and bathrooms.
Environmentalists also argued that the tech park plan has problems with on-site backup generators that run on diesel fuel. These should be test-run for at least 30 minutes each month. The developer said there could be anywhere from 10 to 20 per building, depending on the building's use and size.
Gray Montrose of Henrico Community Action Network, a local environmental group, pointed out that 76 acres of Hooligan's land had previously been set aside for recreational use, meaning the county would essentially lose a park.
The state Legislature's watchdog, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, is currently investigating concerns related to the booming data center industry. The study looked at the data center's impact on the “broader energy market,” its “impact on natural, historical and cultural resources,” and the impact of nuisance activities.
JLARC may make recommendations related to these concerns upon conclusion of the study for approval to Congress.
The Richmond Battlefield Trust also opposed the Eastern Henrico project, arguing that it would destroy land where the Battle of Savages Station was once fought. This battle was one of the seven day battles near the beginning of the Civil War that nearly changed the course of American history.
The developer and the Battlefield Trust disagree as to where the actual battle took place. Hourigan said the association is fighting on about 100 acres at the north end of the property, although most of the incidents occurred elsewhere in the area.
“If you destroy a battlefield, that outdoor classroom is gone forever,” said Mark Perrault, president of the Richmond Battlefield Association.
Perrault also argues that the 76-acre northern parcel has deed restrictions that require the land to be retained for recreational use in perpetuity. He said the association is offering to purchase the land for preservation and interpretation.
County officials reported that the primary reason for the recreational restrictions was due to previous ownership by a local soccer club.
Mr Hourigan's lawyer, Andrew Condlin, said the site must comply with restrictions imposed by the federal government in any case.
Mr. Hourigan has completed a historical survey of the site. Condlin said Hooligan will need to comply with any restrictions that may be imposed by the National Park Service as a result of that investigation.
The Planning Commission voted unanimously, with some adjustments, to recommend the White Oak extension for approval by the Board of Supervisors at a later meeting.