The company secured zoning and entitlements for the site by Hanover County Planning Commission and its Board of Supervisors earlier this year.
The campus will be known as Hanover Technology Park, and Tract aim for it to be energised in 2028.
Tract and Dominion Energy have already ordered long lead equipment for the initial substation and power for bridging purposes is expected as early as 2026.
In keeping with its self-designation as a data centre masterplanning company, Tract’s statement on the announcement of the project makes much ado of its ability to work with the local community and be a “good neighbour”.
Grant van Rooyen, Tract’s CEO, said the project is sited in “an area planned for light industrial uses to maximize community benefits and minimize impacts to neighbours”.
“The public process made our application better, enabling a thoughtful investment that will bring tax revenue, hundreds of high-paying jobs for Hanover County and attract other technology businesses to the region,” he added.
Viriginia is the largest data centre market in the world, which Tract said has provided lessons on how to align the interests of developers, host communities, neighbours and the environment.
“Tract took a proactive and cooperative approach throughout the rezoning process,” said Hanover County Administrator, John Budesky,.
“They showed interest in being a good neighbour by engaging with the community and adapting their plans to address residents’ concerns. We value Tract’s investment in Hanover County and look forward to partnering with them on this project.”
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin added that its administration and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership “have been engaged with Tract for some time and are excited to welcome their commitment and investment in the Commonwealth to complement our efforts to attract responsible data center development.”
Tract are engaged in the permitting process for the horizontal development phase of the project, which includes dirt work, utilities, and foundations.
It expects this work to commence by the end of the year, and planning documents indicate that up to 46 buildings could be built on the campus.
In February 2024, Tract announces the acquisition of an additional 517 acres in Storey County, Nevada, and broke ground on April 30th, although this acquisition was adjacent to an existing project.
Tract currently owns or is under contract on more than 20,000 acres across the US which are in various stages of rezoning, design and horizontal construction, half of the 40,000 acres it said it had identified as potential investment sites when it launched in 2022.
In addition to its site in Nevada, Tract has announced plans for a campus in Utah.
