The company that wanted to build adata center campus in Pittsylvania County has withdrawn its application and now says that it might pursue a residential subdivision on the property instead.
Balico, based in Herndon, announced the change just one day before the board of supervisors had been scheduled to take a final vote on the proposal.
The company informed the county about the withdrawal April 7, according to a statement issued Monday by Balico.
Robert Tucker, chairman of the Pittsylvania board, confirmed the withdrawal. However, the data center item will remain on the agenda at Tuesday’s meeting, both for a board discussion and a public hearing, he said.
“I am not responsible for what Balico or any other investor does. However, I am responsible for the board,” Tucker said. “Having said that, we are going to leave it on the agenda, and we’ll deal with it tomorrow night.”
The announcement comes after months of resident pushback, a recommendation for denial from the county planning commission and two postponements on the final vote.
The location of Tuesday’s meeting has been changed to Chatham High School to accommodate an anticipated large crowd.
“The company is now evaluating alternative development options for the property in addition to the previously proposed campus,” said the statement.
Among those alternatives is a residential subdivision project. The 750-acre property is zoned for agricultural use, which allows up to two dwellings per acre, the statement said.
“While a residential development is not the ideal use we had envisioned for this property, it represents a viable alternative that could still deliver value to our stakeholders, particularly if the data center campus does not proceed,” the statement said.
Balico will be “considering all options going forward,” spokesperson Jeff Brasfield said in response to emailed questions about the announcement. “We will not be providing any further commentary at this time.”
Read Cardinal’s ongoing coverage of data centers:
- How do data centers change the communities where they’re built?
- What advice does Northern Virginia have for Southside?
- Data centers can bring high-paying jobs and millions in tax revenue. Is that what Southside will get?
- Energy demand will outstrip supply in Virginia as data centers proliferate.
- A grassroots fight against data centers builds in rural Pittsylvania County.
The company wanted to build a data center campus on land near the town of Chatham. The project would have included 12 data center buildings, each 396,000 square feet, and on-site power.
Residents had mobilized a grassroots effort to oppose the project, saying that it jeopardized the county’s rural lifestyle, environment and cultural identity, and raising questions about the economic promises of the project.
Amanda Wydner, who has been spearheading the local opposition, said that residents still plan to show up at the meeting and speak during the public hearing, even if the data center item is not on the agenda.
“The only way we change that position is if the board of supervisors reveals there will be no public hearing,” Wydner said.
She said she doesn’t want the withdrawal statement to discourage resident attendance at the meeting, if there is still an opportunity to speak against the project.
The data centers would have employed 20 people per building, for a total of 240 employees making an average of $105,000 per year, according to a presentation to the planning commission by Steven Gould, a local attorney who is representing Balico.
Construction of the data center would have created the most jobs, with more than 1,000 employees needed at varying salary points, Gould said.
The project could have represented a total of almost $3.7 billion in investment over the course of its 10- to 15-year buildout, he said during the presentation.
The county planning commission voted unanimously to recommend denial for the project at the January meeting, saying it lacked specifics.
The final vote by the board of supervisors was postponed twice after that.
This was a scaled-back version of Balico’s initial proposal, which included 2,200 acres of land, 84 data center buildings and a 3,500 megawatt power plant. Balico withdrew this application in November before resubmitting the smaller version later that month.
The company is in the preliminary stages of discussions with potential residential development partners, and further announcements are expected in the coming months, the statement said.
But Wydner said residents are unlikely to support a project of any nature submitted by Balico.
“It is time to give Balico an amicable nod, a handshake and help them pack their bags,” she said.
