Spartanburg County advances Jones Road data center agreement, delays other projects
Spartanburg County Council advanced a development agreement for Lightstone Group’s proposed 60-megawatt Jones Road data center, subject to requirements covering noise, landscaping, environmental reporting and community benefits. The council delayed agreements for the NorthMark, AIB and Valara projects while it reviewed protections and compliance with the county’s amended data center moratorium.
Spartanburg County Council advanced the first of three required readings for a development agreement with the Lightstone Group for its proposed 60-megawatt, 200,000-square-foot data center on Jones Road. The project, which could represent a $1.5 billion investment, would use utility-supplied electricity and is expected to consume about 12 million gallons of water annually. Its agreement requires at least $100 million in investment, 25 full-time jobs and $9 million in community benefit payments over six years.
The council also adopted a corrected version of its amended data center moratorium after an earlier vote was held without the required public notice. The rules allow certain projects to proceed in industrial areas if they meet requirements for noise, light and glare, landscaping, environmental reporting and community engagement. Council members declined, for now, to advance development agreements for the NorthMark data center on Pine Street, the proposed AIB facility in the Tyger River Industrial Park and the Valara project, citing inadequate protections and the need for additional plans and studies.