Microsoft has confirmed plans to invest $499 million in a data center to be located in Mecklenburg County, Va.
Although the software giant declined to provide specifics on the facility’s size, project delivery method or construction schedule, the online industry news source Data Center Knowledge noted that four comparable data centers recently built to support the growth of Microsoft’s online business have been around 500,000 sq ft each.
Microsoft reportedly had also considered prospective locations in North Carolina and Texas before selecting the 175-acre Boydton Plank Road Industrial Park, which also boasts a 40-acre graded pad. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership says that 9% of the company’s investment will be used for property acquisition and construction, with the remainder going toward fourth-generation modular equipment.
To lure the project to Virginia, the state offered a $2.1-million grant from the Governor’s Opportunity fund, which will be used for site work and utilities. The project will also receive $4.8 million from a state program that applies money from the national tobacco settlement to economic development efforts in tobacco-producing areas.