PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – Southside Virginia has seen a record level of economic investment over the past year, driven largely by development at the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill.
Local officials say the Megasite alone is expected to generate more than $70 billion in investment, marking one of the largest economic development efforts in the region’s history.
Pittsylvania County Economic Development Director Matt Rowe said the scale of the investment could have long-term benefits for the community.
“A really, really large investment that then can hopefully be reinvested in the community for the schools and services folks in the community enjoy and depend upon,” Rowe said.
A significant portion of that investment comes from data center company Stack Infrastructure, which plans to invest up to $73 billion over a 30-year period. The project is expected to generate between $2.5 billion and $3.3 billion in economic impact locally and create more than 2,000 full-time jobs once operational.
Rowe said the scale of the project could exceed initial job estimates.
“You’re looking at forty buildings that have fifty people in them at the very minimum of a cloud server — you can easily get to 2,000 jobs. So we’re going to be past that,” he said.
Stack Infrastructure will share space at the Megasite with Microporous, a separate company expected to begin construction in May.
Despite the economic promise, some residents have raised concerns about the project’s potential impact on infrastructure and natural resources, particularly traffic and water usage.
Leon Griffith, a Pittsylvania County resident, questioned whether local roads will be able to handle increased traffic.
“It’s going to be awful tough for us to swallow the fact that you people who are in control can’t have the road rerouted if necessary,” Griffith said.
Another local also expressed concern about the strain on the local water supply.
“We’re not the only people consuming water from that river. That river is not a dedicated source, particularly for that megapark. I mean, I’m looking at this and to me, that’s a massive amount of water,” they said.
Rowe said those concerns are being addressed, noting that road expansions are planned and that water usage from the Megasite is expected to remain within sustainable limits.
“No amount of water coming from the Megasite will ever equal what had previously been taken out of the river,” Rowe said.
He also said Stack Infrastructure will cover all electricity-related costs associated with the project, meaning local utility bills are not expected to increase.
Officials say the projects at Berry Hill are part of a broader effort to bring long-term economic growth to Southside Virginia while balancing community concerns.