Google announces $9 billion investment in Virginia, including a Chesterfield data center

ForyearsithasbeenknownasProjectPeanut,butonWednesday,Chesterfield’snewestbusinessdevelopmentwasunmasked. Googleannounceda$9billioninvestmentinthestateatBrightpointCommunityCollege,formerlyknownasJohnTylerCommunityCollege. GovernorGlennYoungkinwasjoinedbyGooglePresidentRuthPorattoannounceseveralinitiatives,includinganewdatacenteratMeadowvilleTechnologyPark. VirginiaishometothemostdatacentersintheUnitedStates,andwhiletheyhavebecomeacontentioustopicinrecentyears,Chesterfieldrolledouttheredcarpetforitsnewestproject. NeighboringHenricorecentlyvotedtoslowdowntheapprovalprocessfordatacenters,andincreasedthetaxrateonexistingdatacentersfrom40centsper$100ofassessedvalueto$2.60per$100ofassessedvalue. Chesterfield’sratestandsatanattractive-to-businesses24centsper$100ofassessedvalue,andthecountyhaspromisedtoholdthatratethroughrebatesduringthe30-yeardurationoftheProjectPeanutcontract,thoughacountyspokespersonnote