The Appomattox Center for Business and Commerce industrial park site, flush with rolling hills, will be changing its landscape in the near future due to the addition of a new resident. On Tuesday, Dec. 10, AVAIO Digital Partners (AVAIO Digital), based in Stamford, Connecticut, announced it has signed an agreement with the Appomattox County Economic Development Authority (EDA) for the purchase of 452 acres to construct a $3 billion data center campus with “substantial onsite green power. “

“AVAIO Digital has confirmed 300 MW of power from CVEC (Central Virginia Electric Cooperative) and Dominion (Energy) and the site is fully zoned for data centers, strategically located atop major long-haul fiber lines with direct links to major hubs, and is cleared and ready for rapid construction,” AVAIO Digital stated in a press release.

Mark McComiskey, managing partner of AVAIO Digital, said in the press release, "We are delighted to be working with Appomattox County, Virginia to make a major investment in the region's digital and electrical infrastructure that will address the growing demand for digital services in a highly sustainable manner.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin remarked on the deal as being another step toward the state’s goal of welcoming substantial growth in the technological industry.

“This project in Appomattox County exemplifies our strategy of expanding Virginia's thriving data center industry beyond traditional hubs, bringing high-tech jobs and significant investment to communities across the Commonwealth,” said Youngkin in the press release. “By leveraging Virginia's world-class digital infrastructure and business-friendly environment, we're creating opportunities for economic growth and diversification in every region of our state.”

AVAIO Digital explained that the Appomattox Data Hub is part of its expansion of “hyperscale projects” in the United States and Western Europe.

“The company's focus on green power generation, sustainable practices and innovative design positions it as a leader in the next generation of data center infrastructure,” AVAIO Digital stated in the press release.

The EDA has been working toward securing this deal with AVAIO Digital for nearly two years, according to EDA Chairman Garet Bosiger.

“In working with us, they were always so surprised that we were so friendly and easy to get along with,” Bosiger said in an interview with the Times Virginian. “They were accustomed to working in places like California with very strict regulations, and it took four or five agencies to prove every move they made, and we weren’t like that.”

In the press release Bosiger said, “We’re thrilled to support AVAIO Digital in this transformative project. It represents a major opportunity for economic growth and technological advancement in our community.”

During his Times Virginian interview, Bosiger said he believes the deal is transformative because manufacturing jobs are not as prevalent now as when he helped start up Thomasville Furniture in Appomattox in 1974, simply because the world is changing.

“These data centers are the newest and hottest thing, and I think Virginia’s becoming the hot spot for the most data centers in the world,” Bosiger said. “Part of that is due to Governor Youngkin pushing it, plus the tax climate and regulation climate is conducive to this.”

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.

Tags