PULASKI CO., Va. – Recent discussions about a data center coming to Southwest Virginia have focused on a site in the New River Valley. The Virginia First Regional Industrial Facilities Authority (VFRIFA), which owns the New River Commerce Park in Pulaski County, is exploring a major project involving data centers.
Jonathan Sweet, Pulaski County administrator, said the regional industrial park is pursuing data center development. “Virginia’s first regional industrial facilities authority owns a regional industrial park inside of Pulaski County. And one of the industrial applications this regional entity is pursuing are data centers,” Sweet said.
While data centers often spark debate, bringing one to the Commerce Park could benefit all 11 member governments of the VFRIFA. Sweet noted the potential financial impact: “It will generate tremendous revenue. And we need a project in that regional industrial park that generates a lot of revenue to share with the eleven member jurisdictions.”
Beyond revenue, the project could provide economic stability for the region. “Data centers also have the ability to further diversify our local and regional economy, and not rely on sole automotive or advanced manufacturing,” Sweet explained.
The New River Commerce Park’s size and infrastructure make it an ideal location to address common concerns about data center development. “What’s exciting about Virginia’s first property in Pulaski County is that it has enough landmass to allow for multiple data centers in one location that’s provided by one source of infrastructure. So that it prevents sprawling of this type of development,” Sweet said.
Although the project remains in the exploratory phase, the VFRIFA and the site are preparing for the possibility of a data center coming to the region.
Meanwhile, nearby Wythe County, which is not a member of the VFRIFA, recently confirmed plans for an AI computing campus and data center at its own industrial park.