(Chatham) — Developers proposing the biggest economic development project in Pittsylvania County’s history are taking the next step.
The county’s Planning Commission Tuesday unanimously recommended approval of a Special Use Permit to create the 58 East Data Campus. Anchorstone wants to build it on over 900 acres on the south side of Route 58, just east of the Danville city limits.
Tom Gallagher with Anchorstone says the $4-to-5 billion investment and will create up to 500 high-wage jobs at a location he calls perfect. “We’ve got access to water, sewer, and access to a robust fiber network right there on Route 58,” Gallagher told the Planning Commission. “We’ve got major transmission lines that trisect the property.”
Once fully built out, the data center will generate between 120-and-200 million dollars a year in direct tax revenue for Pittsylvania County.
Gallagher says there won’t be enough traffic to warrant a traffic study from the Department of Transportation. “The biggest (traffic) impact will be during construction. After the buildout we’re expecting no more than 500 vehicles per day,” Gallagher said. “Construction will likely take 18-to-24 months and it could be split up over a couple of different phases.”
But a handful of nearby residents are still opposed to the idea. Anne Smith says the location is FAR from ideal. “There are plenty of places this could be put instead of the middle of a neighborhood to disrupt the everyday lives of citizens and taxpayers who have lived there for many years,” Smith said.
But Gallagher says they have met with Pittsylvania County Community Development, Public Works, Public Safety, the Department of Transportation and Danville Utilities to go over the impacts the data center could have on infrastructure and neighboring properties. “What we are talking about from a transportation impact standpoint would actually be less than a residential area,” Gallagher said.
The Planning Commission recommended approve of the use permit on a unanimous vote. The Pittsylvania County Board of Zoning Appeals will vote on the permit at their November meeting.
Earlier this year the county approved a rezoning of the property for the Data Center. It is now zoned M-2 for heavy industry.