The Hanover County Board of Supervisors have denied the $900m Mountain Road Tech Park data center in Virginia. The narrowly voted decision was made after the board heard hours of testimony from developers and residents. “A vote to deny Mountain Road is a vote to save Hanover,” one resident told supervisors during public comment. The proposed campus would have covered nearly 430 acres near Mountain Road and Route 33 — roughly the size of 325 football fields.

Residents raised concerns about environmental impacts and traffic. They also complained about noise and water usage. According to developers with Tract, the campus could use between 600,000 and 2 million gallons of water per day. “This data center offers nothing to the community but some promised tax dollars and a whole lot of loss,” another resident said. Some neighbors also said the proposal could change the character of the area and affect nearby homeowners and businesses. “We’re strongly considering moving if this business owner is approved,” one resident said. “These companies are not good neighbors.” Another major data center that is facing hurdles is the Stratos data center project in Utah. The campus will have to restrategize as leaders are opposing plans for the campus to run on natural gas alone

Outlook on the Mountain Road Tech Park Data Center in Hanover by Tract

Tract noted that they had made significant effort to ensure the Mountain Road Tech Park data center accommodated local interests as well. Tract noted the campus was not to use well water and that studies had been completed on traffic and noise impacts. Representatives also said the project aligns with Hanover County’s comprehensive plan. Once complete, it was expected to bring economic benefits, including more than 300 permanent jobs.

“There are folks that do not want to see this industry in the county, and we acknowledge that,” a Tract representative said. “But I hope through this conversation we can demonstrate what we have tried to do through our voluntary proffer statements to address some of these significant concerns.” Tract also said it made several changes to the proposal since first introducing the project in September 2025. Those changes include increasing buffers to between 200 and 300 feet, reducing the maximum building height and offering to fund maintenance work. However, many residents said the revisions did not go far enough. Ultimately, the board voted 4-3 to deny the proposal.

Project Factsheet:

• Project Name: Mountain Road Tech Park Data Center Campus
• Location: Hanover County, Virginia, USA
• Estimated Investment Value: $900 million
• Project Type: Hyperscale data center campus

Timeline

• Project first introduced: September 2025
• Public hearings and reviews: 2025–2026
• Board of Supervisors decision: 2026
• Project proposal officially denied following 4-3 vote

Site & Scale

• Planned campus area: Nearly 430 acres
• Site location: Near Mountain Road and Route 33
• Estimated water demand: 600,000 to 2 million gallons per day
• Projected permanent jobs: More than 300

Key Contractors/Stakeholders

• Developer: Tract
• Approving authority: Hanover County Board of Supervisors
• Local stakeholders: Hanover County residents and business owners
• Community opposition groups: Local residents and environmental advocates
• Planning authorities: Hanover County planning officials

Infrastructure Scope

• Multi-building hyperscale data center campus
• Associated utility and water infrastructure
• Traffic and roadway impact mitigation plans
• Noise reduction and landscaping buffer systems
• Expanded setback buffers ranging from 200–300 feet

Strategic Objectives

• Expand digital infrastructure capacity in Virginia
• Generate long-term local tax revenue and employment
• Support growing hyperscale and cloud computing demand
• Align development with Hanover County comprehensive planning goals

Current Status

• Project officially denied by Hanover County Board of Supervisors
• Strong public opposition cited environmental and quality-of-life concerns
• Developer submitted revised plans and mitigation proposals before vote
• Future direction of the proposed campus remains uncertain