Google Weighs 1.2GW Data Center Campus on 1,000 Virginia Acres

Google is evaluating a 1.2GW data center campus on roughly 1,000 acres at the West Creek Business Park in Goochland County, Virginia, according to an unsealed NDA reported by WRIC. No hard plans exist yet; the company is still conducting due diligence on the site.

The property sits off Route 6 and Hockett Road near West End, west of Richmond.

What has Google said?

Clay Allsop, a Google regional public affairs manager, framed the project as an extension of the company's build record:

"Google has more than 20 years of experience responsibly building data centers, and we are optimistic about the opportunity in Goochland County. As we continue our due diligence on the West Creek site, we are committed to working transparently with residents and local government leaders every step of the way."

In plain words: Google has named a site and a capacity target, but has committed to nothing beyond study.

How did Goochland County prepare for this?

The county's Board of Supervisors previously approved a Technology Overlay District and a Technology Zone. Both measures aim to attract business investment and increase local tax revenue.

Goochland County lies west of Richmond. Its county seat, the city of Goochland, shares the county's name — both honor Sir William Gooch, a British army officer who served as governor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749.

The zoning groundwork is in place; the investment decision is not.

What do residents say?

Local opposition has already surfaced. Goochland resident Cynthia Haas cited noise, pollution and nighttime lighting as looming changes:

"Everything from the noise, to the pollution, to the lights at night: all of these things are going to happen to Goochland is going to dramatically change the way this county looks."

Her objection lands before a single foundation is poured.

Who else is building in the county?

Google is not alone in targeting Goochland. Tract, a data center developer, is pursuing a separate 872-acre campus at the Tuckahoe Technology Park. Key parameters:

• Site: land at 44 Cobblestone Circle and 70 Fleetwood Lane
• Boundaries: Hockett Road to the west, Route 288 to the east, Patterson Avenue to the south
• Scale: site plans suggest 12 buildings across a multi-phase campus
• Capacity: up to 900MW at full build-out
• Investment: more than $3 billion

Two campuses — one at 1.2GW, one at 900MW — would place roughly 2.1GW of potential data center capacity in a single county of roughly 1,000 acres plus 872 acres of land.

What happens next?

Google continues site evaluation at West Creek. No timeline, budget figure or construction date has been disclosed for the project. The due-diligence phase, the county's technology zoning and the parallel Trat application will shape what gets built.

For now, Goochland County holds two mega-site proposals and zero confirmed construction starts.