A third Amazon Web Services data center could be coming to Louisa County, the Engage Louisa newsletter reported on June 4.
Last month, the tech giant filed an application to construct a multi-building data center on 1,370 acres just north of the Northeast Creek Reservoir in central Louisa. The center buildings themselves would cover up to 7.2 million square feet, or about 165 acres — the size of about 125 regulation football fields. For another size reference, Charlottesville’s McIntire Park is about 150 acres.
The land is privately owned by former Louisa District Supervisor Eric Purcell and a few members of his family, and is currently used for timber production.
Data centers are large, warehouse-like buildings that hold many rows of computer servers that store and process digital information. They’re used for everything from email to cloud storage, smartphone apps and artificial intelligence. And as more aspects of life go digital, demand for these centers is increasing.
Debate over the pros and cons of data centers have heated up in Virginia in recent years, the Virginia Mercury reported in May 2024. Some say that data centers can be financially beneficial to a locality by adding jobs and tax revenue, while others say that the effects the centers have on the natural and built environment, particularly the strain on electrical and water infrastructure, negate those benefits.
Amazon is already building two other data centers in Louisa County. This interactive map from Piedmont Environmental Council, a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization, shows all existing as well as planned data centers throughout Virginia.
Read more about AWS’s latest proposal in Engage Louisa.
Take Action
Amazon Web Services and the Louisa County Community Development Department is hosting a neighborhood meeting about the proposal Wednesday, June 11 at 4 p.m. in the Public Room at the Louisa County office building, located at 1 Woolfork Ave. in Louisa. The Louisa County Planning Commission could consider the application as soon as its July 10 meeting, Engage Louisa reports.
While we can’t cover every story that’s important to you, we do our best to be responsive to your needs. We use tips from readers to choose which stories to cover, to incorporate information into broader reports or to help us decide how to grow Charlottesville Tomorrow. Here’s where you can tell us what you think we should be covering.
More about land use regulations in central Virginia
How should Albemarle County regulate data centers? Officials want to hear what residents think
While there are no current or proposed data centers in Albemarle County, “it would be wise of the county to be prepared,” said Bill Fritz with the Community Development Office
A developer’s plan to build new apartments in Scottsville shows just how unprecedented big projects are for the small town
Scottsville Town Council intended to vote on the project last week. Instead, it spent the first hour arguing over what kind of meeting it could have — or whether it could have one at all.
City Council approved a new zoning ordinance that re-envisions Charlottesville as a denser and more economically diverse city
Mayor Lloyd Snook said it will take a while, and a better transit system, to realize this new vision. “But we have to get started, and this is a good start.”
More local News
Hollymead Principal McCauley not returning, school to eliminate social emotional learning coach role, interim superintendent says
In the wake of the arrest of a former Hollymead SEL coach on charges of sexual crimes involving children, McCauley was placed on administrative leave.
For Fifeville residents, the fight over a seven-story luxury student housing complex isn’t over yet
After finding out that there is no legal mechanism for City Council to re-vote on The Mark, Fifeville residents are exploring their options to continue to advocate for the future of their neighborhood.
Where to go to stay cool in central Virginia during this week’s extreme heat
As high temperatures and humidity create a dangerous mix, cooling centers are opening up in central Virginia to keep community members safe.
Virginia has high vaccination rates. Why do we have a large measles outbreak?
Some community members don’t have easy access to vaccines, while others might look to their neighbors for advice, explains Jennifer Reich, a sociologist who has studied vaccine hesitancy.
Farewell, fines — Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to drop overdue fees for most items starting July 1
“If overdue fines are keeping them from walking through the door, we want to remove that barrier,” said JMRL director David Plunkett. “That’s the whole point.”
