City leaders oppose potential data center at Wood Haven tech park
Roanoke city leaders are vehemently opposing the potential development of a data center campus by Clear View Dynamics LLC at the Wood Haven Technology Park. Although the prospective use of the 111-acre site is not officially confirmed, officials are against data center construction in the Roanoke Valley.
Clear View Dynamics LLC, a company established in Delaware and registered in Virginia, is reportedly in the process of acquiring 111 acres at the Wood Haven Technology Park in Roanoke County. The Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority, a board with representatives from Roanoke, Botetourt, and Franklin counties, as well as the cities of Roanoke, Salem, and Vinton, confirmed a purchase agreement is in place, subject to a due diligence process, and the sale is not yet finalized. The authority has not disclosed the prospective use of the property.
Despite the lack of official confirmation, there is widespread speculation that the site could be used for a data center campus. This possibility has drawn significant opposition from local officials. Roanoke City Vice Mayor Terry Maguire and Councilman Fjan Nash issued a joint statement Friday, declaring their "vehement opposition" to data center construction in the Roanoke Valley.
The city holds a 44% ownership stake in the municipally owned property. The site, located off the intersection of I-581 and I-81, has been under development for nearly a decade as part of regional industrial planning. The Roanoke Regional Partnership notes that 54 acres of the site are currently ready for development and are zoned for various light industrial uses.