A Reston-based developer is seeking zoning approval for a project that could take the form of an industrial park or data center campus on Ashland's eastern border with Hanover County.
The West Dalles Properties project, called Iron Horse Business Park, will take shape on a 230-acre site split approximately 60-40 between Ashland and Hanover.
West Dulles CEO Eric Wells said zoning approvals from both communities are still needed and the proposal is expected to be submitted to the Ashland Planning Commission next month.
The developer recently filed an updated rezoning application for the project, which has been in the works for several years.
The latest proposals feature two potential development plans for the site. The project could take the form of a 1.9 million square foot industrial park spread over nearly a dozen buildings. Future users of this version may include manufacturers, warehouses, breweries, commercial greenhouses, trade schools, and more.
The project will also include retail and a 110-room hotel on Patrick Henry Highway (Route 54).
Another possibility is a data center campus, an alternative concept not included in the original zoning proposal submitted in 2022 or the amended application submitted in March 2023. Wells said the project could include 2.5 million to 3 million square feet. Data center facility spanning 10 to 12 buildings. His 2024 traffic study for this project was based on a 3.3 million square foot data center campus.
“We're going to go one way or the other,” Wells said. “The data center (industry) is something that we've been involved in for a long time in Northern Virginia since the late '90s.”
Also new to the project and included in the zoning request are 49 single-family homes on 44 acres southwest of the proposed industrial development. A previous version of the project proposed approximately 150 townhomes on the site.
The initial concept was discussed between the developer and the municipality last year and in 2022, but the first formal consideration of the project will be before the town's Planning Commission in June, Wells said. Told. The Town Council is expected to make a final verdict on the Ashland-based portion of the project later.
The Hanover Planning Commission is scheduled to vote in July on whether to recommend final approval, after which the Board of Supervisors will make a final decision.
WestDulles is zoning for light industrial (M-2), community business (B-2), and single-family residential (RS) in Hanover, as well as light industrial (M-1) and highway commercial (B-2) in Ashland. requested. . Most of the project site is currently zoned for mixed-use development.
WestDulles owns the majority of the project site, which is located near the Interstate 95 and Route 54 interchange.
The land for the proposed residential development is owned by Harris & Douglas Properties LLC, which will retain ownership and develop the homes.
A conditional use permit is being sought to allow construction of the electrical substation needed for the data center development.
Community meetings to discuss the project will be held May 23rd from 4:30pm to 8pm at The Depot (107 S. Railroad Ave.) in Ashland and June 3rd from 6pm at the Ashland Theater (205 England St.).
Andy Condlin of the law firm Ross Jackson is representing the applicant in the zoning process.
WestDulles' move to locate a potential data center campus in the area comes amid other similar projects in the region. Denver-based Tract recently completed the purchase of his 1,200 acres in Hanover County for a data center facility. A data center project is proposed on 120 acres in Powhatan.