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Data Centers Near Short Pump: What Buyers and Homeowners Should Know (Fall 2026)

Chris StahlChris Stahl · · Updated · 9 min read
Quick answer

Goochland County has zoned about 4,400 acres along Route 288, right on the Henrico line, for data centers. Four campuses totaling roughly 2,900 megawatts have been proposed or discussed there. The biggest, a 1,200 MW campus on about 1,000 acres in West Creek, is Google's. The company confirmed on Oct. 28, 2026, that it's doing due diligence on the site. Google hasn't bought the land or filed plans, and because data centers are allowed by right there, it won't need a public hearing. Only Tract's 900 MW Tuckahoe Technology Park has to go through hearings. Nothing has been built yet, and a lawsuit challenging the district is still waiting on a judge's ruling.

Update, Oct. 30: Google Is Behind the West Creek Campus

The biggest unknown on this list now has a name. On October 28, Goochland County put out a release, and Google confirmed it's doing due diligence on the roughly 1,000-acre West Creek site. That's the 1,200-megawatt campus in the table below that nobody would name until now.

Here's what we know so far:

My take: This is new news but nothing is set in stone at this point. This doesn't speed anything up. Google is still in due diligence, and a 1,200 MW campus has to wait its turn in Dominion's power queue (more on that below). What it changes is how real this feels. Google is already building a campus at 2700 Bermuda Hundred Road in Chesterfield, part of an estimated $3 billion investment there. This isn't a developer floating an idea. If you're buying near Route 288 between I-64 and Patterson, factor it in.

Curious what the county's tax pitch means for your own bill? My Goochland vs. Hanover vs. Henrico tax comparison runs the numbers, including the extra district tax most Short Pump-side Goochland homes pay.

Why I'm Writing About This

Lately, a lot of my clients, mostly families with kids at Short Pump-area schools, have been asking me about the zoning and possible construction of data centers in Goochland, right on the western Henrico line. Last week a group of West End parents who started talking about it at the bus stop packed a Henrico Board of Supervisors meeting. So here's what's actually on the table, in plain English, with a source for every fact, so you can decide for yourself.

I'm not here to tell you how to feel about data centers. I'm here to make sure you know what's planned before you buy, sell or sign anything.

Background: What Goochland Approved

On November 6, 2025, Goochland's Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to create a Technology Overlay District (TOD) and a companion Technology Zone. The district runs about five miles along Route 288 from I-64 down to Patterson Avenue, right along the Henrico border, and covers about 4,400 acres. More than 80 people signed up to speak, nearly all against it, at a meeting that ran past midnight.

Here's the part that matters most: across most of the district, data centers are allowed "by right." That means a project that meets the district's rules doesn't need a public hearing or a board vote. The exception is the western section ("TOD West"), where a developer has to get a conditional use permit. That process includes public hearings.

The ordinance does set rules on noise, height and buffers. According to Goochland's own summary:

  • Setbacks: On agricultural (A-2) land next to homes, a data center has to sit at least 500 feet back, with a 250-foot vegetated buffer. On industrial (M-1) land, it's 300 feet.
  • Noise: A cap of 55 dBA and 65 dBC, measured at the property line, with third-party noise studies required.
  • Generators: Testing only 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., two hours a day. Next to residential zoning, generators have to be enclosed and use Tier 4 diesel engines.
  • Height: Buildings over 80 feet next to residential property need a conditional use permit.

Worth knowing: those buffers were written mainly around Goochland's own residential areas, and Henrico Supervisor Misty Roundtree has said she'll push for stronger protections on the Henrico side.

Four Goochland residents sued the county in December 2025 over how the district was adopted. On October 20, 2026, Circuit Judge Timothy Sanner heard the county's motion to dismiss the case and said he'll issue a written ruling. There's no date yet.

The Four Proposed Campuses

Only one of these is a formal application, and only one has a confirmed company behind it: Google. All three by-right sites first surfaced in a July 2026 Dominion Energy filing with the State Corporation Commission.

Concept site plan for Tract's proposed Tuckahoe Technology Park data center campus in Goochland County, VA, between Hockett Road and Route 288 north of Patterson Avenue, showing seven development areas, wetlands and 250- to 500-foot buffers from homes
Concept plan for Tract's proposed Tuckahoe Technology Park, between Hockett Road and Route 288, north of Patterson Avenue. Google's West Creek site is a separate property to the east.
CampusSizeLocationApproval pathStatus (Oct 2026)
Tuckahoe Technology Park (Tract)900 MW, ~872 acresEast of Hockett Rd, NW of Patterson Ave & Rt. 288; borders Mosaic at West CreekConditional use permit, so public hearingsFormal application filed Aug 2026; not yet on a Planning Commission agenda
Google (West Creek)1,200 MW, ~1,000 acresStraddles Rt. 288 north of Patterson Ave, mostly east of the highway; less than a mile from Henrico neighborhoodsBy rightGoogle confirmed due diligence Oct. 28; hasn't bought the land or filed plans
Ashland Road site~600 MW, ~150 acresOff Ashland Rd near I-64By rightOne company called it a possible three-building, 600 MW site
Smaller campus200 MWEast of Rt. 288, north of Patterson AveBy rightDominion offered a power agreement; not signed

Add it up and it's about 2,900 MW. Sizes and locations for the three by-right sites come from Dominion's regulatory filing as reported by Richmond BizSense and the Henrico Citizen. None of them has filed site plans with Goochland yet.

For perspective, 900 MW is the same capacity Tract proposed for its Mountain Road campus in Hanover. Hanover's supervisors turned that one down 4-3 in May. The difference: Hanover's project needed a rezoning vote. Three of the four Goochland sites don't.

What's Happening Right Now

What This Means If You're Buying

Don't panic, but do your homework. Here's what I tell my clients:

  1. Look at the map before you fall in love with a house. If you're looking near Route 288 between I-64 and Patterson, especially Mosaic at West Creek (a 55+ community), Wyndham's western edge, the Kinloch/Tuckahoe Creek area, or the neighborhoods around Nuckols Farm and Gayton elementary schools, pull up the district map first. Your agent should do this with you.
  2. Ask about sound. Noise from cooling equipment and backup generators is the complaint I hear most from Northern Virginia. Goochland's limit is 55 dBA at the data center's property line, so ask how close that line is to the house you're looking at.
  3. Think about your timeline. Building a campus takes years, and Dominion's queue for new power hookups is long. A Dominion employee said the 1,200 MW project is "likely near the back of the queue." If you're here for a 2-3 year PCS tour, the construction phase may matter more to you than the finished buildings.
  4. Don't count on rumors either way. Some people say it'll tank values. Others say it'll lower taxes. Honestly, there's no local sales data yet because nothing's been built. I'll share real numbers when we have them.

How close you'd be to Route 288 varies a lot by neighborhood. My Short Pump neighborhood comparison lays out prices, zoned schools and HOA dues side by side, so you can weigh all of it together.

What This Means If You're Selling

Buyers are asking about it, so get ahead of it. Know what's proposed near you, be upfront, and highlight what makes your home and neighborhood great. A good agent will help you answer the question directly instead of letting it hang over a showing. If you're not sure where your home stands, get a home value estimate and we'll talk through it.

How to Have a Say

Goochland makes the land-use decisions, so comments need to go to Goochland, even if you live in Henrico:

One more thing: both counties' boards of supervisors are up for election next November.

FAQ

Is Google building a data center in Goochland?

Not yet. On Oct. 28, 2026, Google confirmed it's doing due diligence on about 1,000 acres in West Creek Business Park along Route 288 for a possible 1,200 MW campus. It hasn't bought the land or submitted plans to the county.

Is a data center being built in Short Pump?

Not in Henrico. The proposed campuses are just across the line in eastern Goochland, along Route 288, some within a mile of Short Pump neighborhoods. None are under construction yet.

What is the Goochland Technology Overlay District?

It's about 4,400 acres along Route 288, from I-64 to Patterson Avenue, that Goochland zoned in November 2025 to attract data centers and related uses. In most of it, data centers are allowed by right.

What is Tuckahoe Technology Park?

It's a proposed 900-megawatt data center campus from Denver-based developer Tract on about 872 acres near Patterson Avenue and Route 288, next to Mosaic at West Creek. It needs a conditional use permit, so it will get public hearings.

Will data centers hurt home values in Short Pump?

There's no local data yet because nothing's been built. Values depend on distance, sound, visibility and the neighborhood itself. If you're buying close to the district, factor it in and ask your agent for a close look at the specific property.

Can Henrico stop the Goochland data centers?

Henrico doesn't vote on Goochland zoning. It does sell water to Goochland, and Henrico leaders have said they don't intend to supply extra water for data centers, but the current water contract runs until at least 2036.

Is the lawsuit against Goochland's data center district still active?

Yes. A circuit judge heard Goochland's motion to dismiss on October 20, 2026, and said he'll issue a written ruling. As of October 30, no ruling has been announced.

Bottom Line

Short Pump is still one of the best places to live in the Richmond area. That hasn't changed. (Here's my guide to the best neighborhoods in Short Pump if you're just starting to look.) But this is the biggest land-use question on the West End right now, and you deserve to know about it before you make a move. Thinking about crossing the line? My Goochland County guide and Henrico County guide cover the rest.

If you've got questions about a specific house or neighborhood, call or text me at 804-409-8581, or send me a note through my contact form. I'm happy to pull the map with you.

Better call Stahl.

Sources

Facts checked October 30, 2026. This is a developing story: proposals, hearing dates and the lawsuit may change. I'm a REALTOR, not an attorney or engineer. This is general information, not legal advice or a prediction of any property's value.

Chris Stahl
Chris Stahl

REALTOR® with eXp Realty and 25-year Air Force veteran, helping families buy and sell in Short Pump, the West End, Goochland and across Richmond.

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