Fauquier data center developers offering millions of dollars to local nonprofits
Data center developer Gigaland is offering $10 million in grants to Fauquier County nonprofits to support its scaled-back Remington data center project. The revised proposal, which is half the size of the original, will be resubmitted after facing resistance for its initial scale and power requirements. The grant offer has drawn mixed reactions, with some nonprofits expressing gratitude while others raise concerns about the developer's motives.
Gigaland, a data center developer, is offering $10 million in community grants to numerous Fauquier County nonprofits as it prepares to resubmit a scaled-back application for its Remington data center project. The original proposal was met with significant resistance due to its size and extensive power requirements, prompting Gigaland to withdraw it last year and revise its plans.
Art Lickunas, President of Gigaland, stated that the company expects to resubmit its application "as soon as possible," aiming for later this year. The revised plan reduces the total building square footage by 55% to under 1 million square feet and cuts the substation capacity by 50%, from 1.2 gigawatts to 600 megawatts. The number of data center buildings is also reduced from seven to six on the 200-acre site. Lickunas emphasizes that the grants are not intended to influence the Fauquier Board of Supervisors but to demonstrate the company's long-term commitment to the county.
The grant offers have been met with a spectrum of reactions from the nonprofit community. Molly Brooks, founder of Hero's Bridge, expressed deep gratitude for a $1 million grant, highlighting its potential impact on supporting senior veterans. Conversely, Leadership Fauquier's board, through Executive Director Stephanie Hanson, declined a $250,000 offer. Charity Furness, Executive Director of Fauquier FISH, noted her organization is carefully evaluating the offer, recognizing its potential transformational impact while also acknowledging community concerns regarding growth and land use, stating their neutrality on zoning applications.
However, the initiative has drawn criticism from local conservationists. Kevin Ramundo, a vocal opponent of data centers for three years, characterized the grants as "attempted bribery," citing previous attempts by Gigaland to influence county officials. Scott District Supervisor Ike Broaddus revealed earlier discussions where conservation groups hinted at supporting the project if the proffer for land conservation was raised to $30 million, an amount deemed unenforceable, suggesting data centers have become "too toxic" regardless of economic benefits.
Despite the controversy, Lickunas reiterated Gigaland's unwavering commitment to the project, which has an estimated full buildout cost of $6 billion. He maintains confidence that once all facts are understood, the county will ultimately support the development.