Watch Chesterfield's Oct. 27 data center forum on YouTube. One zoning-approved site is at Watkins Centre off Route 288, in the Midlothian District.
Updated Oct. 31: The forum took place Tuesday, Oct. 27, and ran 140 minutes. Panelists came from Dominion Energy, Chirisa Technology Parks, Google and the county, followed by audience questions. The county said the most common concerns were power use and rates, water and cooling, noise and light, tax revenue and jobs, and transparency. Watch the full forum on the county’s YouTube channel, or read the county’s summary. Board of Supervisors Chair Mark Miller said, “We’re going to continue this conversation going forward.” The county set no date for a further forum.
Chesterfield County held a public forum on data centers Tuesday, Oct. 27. It took place at Brightpoint Community College’s Chester Campus, 13101 Route 1, about 16 miles southeast of Midlothian.
The county announced the forum after the Board of Supervisors and county staff received hundreds of questions and comments on data center development. “The volume of input signaled that a forum would offer the best opportunity to address the topic,” the county said.
How the evening worked
According to the county:
- It opened with a moderated panel discussion.
- Dean Lynch, executive director of the Virginia Association of Counties, moderated.
- Google, Chirisa and Dominion Energy were among the organizations taking part.
- After the panel, people put questions directly to experts from those organizations.
The forum was streamed live, and the recording is on the county’s YouTube channel.
The site in the Midlothian District
Most existing and planned data center work is east of Interstate 95, around the county-owned Meadowville Technology Park, the county said.
One of two other approved sites is on the Midlothian side of the county. The county rezoned 750 Watkins Centre Parkway, near Route 288, for data center use in May 2025. County address records put it in the Midlothian District, about two and a half miles west of the Census Bureau’s center point for Midlothian.
The county lists the Watkins Centre site as zoning approved, with a maximum water use of 850,000 gallons a day. It did not give a building count. The other approved site is at Upper Magnolia Green, 4201 Moseley Road.
Water use at each site
The county’s July 2026 status list gives each site’s maximum water use:
| Site | Status (July 2026) | Maximum water use, gallons a day |
|---|---|---|
| Peanut LLC, 2100 Bermuda Hundred Road | Under construction, three buildings | 6 million |
| Upper Magnolia Green, 4201 Moseley Road | Zoning approved | 1.755 million |
| Watkins Centre, 750 Watkins Centre Parkway | Zoning approved | 850,000 |
| Chirisa CTP-02, 03 and 04, 1381 Meadowville Tech Parkway | Two built, one under construction | 840,000 |
| Chirisa CTP-01, 1381 Meadowville Tech Parkway | Existing, one building | 626,000 |
| 11751 Meadowville LLC, 11751 Meadowville Lane | Existing, one building | 626,000 |
| Chirisa, 1551 Digital Drive | Under construction, two buildings | None expected (closed system) |
The county said the Bermuda Hundred Road, Upper Magnolia Green and Watkins Centre sites together come to about 8.6 million gallons a day, “less than 8%” of its water capacity. County sources supply 110.5 million gallons a day. Average use is about 42 million gallons, with a historic peak of 70 million.
Two more proposals, at 1931 Old Bermuda Hundred Road and 1250 Battery Brooke Parkway, are not approved. Each would need a conditional use permit.
The rules and the money
The board has ended by-right approval of new data centers, the county said. New projects now go through the public zoning process and need a conditional use permit.
On taxes, the county said:
- It expects about $4.2 million a year for every $1 billion of data center development: $2.6 million in real estate tax and $1.6 million in business personal property tax.
- Data center equipment is taxed at 24 cents per $100 of value, against $3.25 for other business equipment. The board set that rate in 2019.
- Google’s agreements freeze the 24-cent rate for 10 years, with two 10-year renewal options.
- Google’s three campuses, fully built, could bring in more than $40 million a year, equal to “more than six cents” on the real estate tax rate.
What it means for you
- To catch up on the forum, watch the full recording on the county’s YouTube channel.
- To write to the county, email datacenters@chesterfield.gov, the address on its data center page.
- Any new data center now needs a conditional use permit and a public hearing. Upcoming zoning cases are listed on our building permits and zoning page.
See also our property taxes page for current county rates.
Have your say