Google has officially set its sights on Goochland County for a massive new infrastructure project, confirming it is currently performing due diligence on a 1,000-acre site within the West Creek Business Park.
The tech giant’s interest in the location was revealed Wednesday following a joint decision by the company and county officials to lift a long-standing non-disclosure agreement. If the project proceeds, Google plans to construct a 1,200-megawatt data center campus that would bisect Route 288 just north of Patterson Avenue.
The potential site is currently owned by an entity linked to Pruitt Associates and Riverstone Group, the development firms that control the majority of land within the West Creek corridor. Because the proposed property falls under the county’s recently adopted technology overlay district (TOD), any data center development there would be considered a “by-right” use. This status means the project would bypass the traditional, often lengthy public hearing process required for special exceptions.
Goochland County Administrator Jeremy Raley confirmed that while due diligence is underway, no formal site plans have been submitted to the county government at this time.
The path to this announcement has been marked by a stop-and-start timeline. According to county records, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership initially introduced the prospect of a Goochland site to Google in early 2024. The county and the tech company entered into a non-disclosure agreement on January 10, 2024, followed by a preliminary meeting later that month. Shortly after that initial discussion, the county was informed that Google had no interest in pursuing the location, and communication ceased.
However, the tech giant “re-engaged” with county officials late last year following the Board of Supervisors’ approval of the new technology overlay district. The TOD, along with an adjacent technology zone, encompasses roughly 4,400 acres stretching five miles along the Route 288 corridor from I-64 south to Patterson Avenue.
The potential West Creek development is located east of the proposed Tuckahoe Tech Park, a separate 900-acre tract within the county’s “TOD West” area, where data center projects still require a conditional-use permit.
The move into Goochland signals an aggressive expansion for Google across the Richmond region. The company is already moving forward with a 300-plus-acre data center campus in eastern Chesterfield at 2700 Bermuda Hundred Road, adjacent to the existing Meadowville Technology Park. Additionally, the company has other facilities in various stages of planning for the western side of Chesterfield.
County officials stated that the decision to release the details of the negotiations was motivated by a desire for transparency as the project moves into the due diligence phase. Should Google choose to acquire the land, the next phase will involve intensive site engineering and the submission of formal development plans to the county’s planning department.
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