Recently, tech giant Amazon filed four rezoning requests for data centers, while another company also filed a separate rezoning request for data centers.

These requests were anticipated, as county officials have expressed their interest in attracting data centers by amending the Comprehensive Plan to appeal to the tech industry.

In February, the Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning that converted 314 acres of agricultural land in Thornburg into industrial zoning. This change allows for the construction of a 2.9-million-square-foot “corporate technology campus” to be situated north of the intersection of Mudd Tavern and Morris roads. The location borders U.S. 1, Riverview Elementary, Thornburg Middle, Hickory Ridge Road, and North Roxbury Mill Road.

Currently, the county has multiple requests for rezoning to establish data center campuses. The Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors of Spotsylvania will conduct public hearings on these requests, which require majority approval from the supervisors before construction can commence.

Summit Crossing Tech Campus

Amazon is requesting a rezoning of property in the Massaponax area from rural to industrial in order to develop an industrial campus comprising data centers and light public utility facilities. The proposed Summit Crossing Tech Campus will encompass 2.1 million square feet of data center warehouses to be constructed on 231 acres along Summit Crossing Road. The property consists of wooded and open land with streams and wetlands. It is bordered by the Summit Station Farm and Foundry Run neighborhood to the north, as well as Summit Homes Estates to the southeast. Other neighboring properties include a farm, the CSX railroad, and vacant land. Currently, the property is zoned for the development of 62 houses or a repair service business, with access to the campus being provided via Summit Crossing Road. The project is planned to be executed in phases, with an initial phase comprising 900,000 square feet of data centers. The entire campus is estimated to take 10 to 15 years to complete.

Carter’s Store Tech Campus

Amazon is seeking to construct another data center campus on 313 acres of land along Flippo Drive, east of I-95. The company is requesting the county to rezone the property from rural to industrial for the Carter’s Store Tech Campus project. The plan involves building 2.6 million square feet of data center warehouses on the site until 2035. The property is a combination of wooded and open space with wetlands, and it is bordered by vacant land, businesses, the Lancaster Gates neighborhood, and the property designated for the proposed Summit Crossing Tech campus.

Cosner Tech Campus

For the third data center campus, Amazon has submitted a rezoning request for 329 acres of land along Massaponax Church Road. The company aims to rezone the property from mixed-use to industrial to establish the Cosner Tech Campus, located east of I-95 and just south of the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center. Access to the tech campus would be provided from Massaponax Church Road. Similar to the other campuses, the Cosner campus will also be developed in phases, with a total build-out of 1.9 million square feet of data centers. The first phase will encompass 900,000 square feet of data centers. The complete build-out is expected to occur over a period of 10 to 15 years. The property consists of undeveloped land, including open space, woods, and wetlands. It is surrounded by vacant land, the Lancaster Gates neighborhood, the hospital, Penske Truck Leasing, the Trivett’s Furniture distribution facility, and the Harris Teeter distribution center. Additionally, Alexander’s Crossing, a mixed-use development currently under construction, borders the

property. The development is anticipated to include 2,607 houses, townhouses, and apartments, as well as assisted living units and 1.6 million square feet of commercial space on 701 acres. The current zoning of the property allows for large mixed-use development, similar to Alexander’s Crossing.

Orrock Tech Campus

Amazon’s fourth rezoning request involves a data center campus spanning both Spotsylvania and Caroline counties. The application states that the data center campus covers approximately 158 acres in Spotsylvania and around 920.50 acres in Caroline.

The request calls for the construction of approximately 4.5 million square feet of data center warehouses on the Caroline property, while the Spotsylvania property would provide necessary utilities for the Caroline data centers.

Amazon has requested a rezoning of the Caroline property from agricultural to planned innovation, research, and technology park, while the Spotsylvania property would be rezoned from agricultural to industrial. The Spotsylvania land is located within the primary development boundary and currently permits the development of up to 32 single-family houses.

The proposed Spotsylvania project includes the incorporation of utilities such as generators and transmission lines on 14 acres of unimproved land off Orrock Road. The property consists of a mix of wooded and open land, with wetlands and streams.

To access the data center campus, Orrock Road would undergo widening and include an entrance. Surrounding the property are vacant land and developed properties, including Dominion Raceway, Attkisson Truck & Equipment Sales, Camping World, and Hilldrup’s Roll Off Service. The remaining portion of the data center complex extends east of the Spotsylvania land. The data center complex would have access via Stonewall Jackson Road in Caroline and Mallard Road in Spotsylvania. According to the application, the development of the Spotsylvania property would occur in phases as needed.

Hunters Ridge

In addition to the Amazon developments, another unrelated rezoning request for a data center has been filed in Spotsylvania. Hunters Ridge LLC, a group based in King George County, is seeking the rezoning of 127 acres from rural to industrial to facilitate the construction of data centers.

The specific details of the project plans were not included in the rezoning request filed by Hunters Ridge LLC on May 15. The property is located just south of Overview and Mills drives, and east of Cosner Drive, within the county’s technology zone. The land consists of partially wooded areas and is primarily bordered by several vacant parcels, along with a former mattress factory.

The rezoning requests for data center construction in Spotsylvania County indicate the growing interest and investment in the region’s technological infrastructure. As these requests move through the approval process, public hearings will be conducted to ensure community input and adherence to regulatory requirements. If approved, these data center campuses could bring significant economic and technological advancements to Spotsylvania County.