Now in it’s tenth month of construction, the Lake Anna Technology Campus at the corner Rt. 652/Kentucky Springs Road and Haley Drive (Rt. 700) is beginning to take shape and resembling a data center.
Passerbys can attest, major clearing and earthmoving duties have been accomplished and erection of the first data center shell is complete and work on other support buildings is well underway at the site that could hold more than 1.7 million square feet of Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in four years. The campus should be completed by 2027.
Massive earthmoving efforts and burnings began back in mid-November 2024 when a mission-critical memorandum of understanding was granted by various state agencies and a wetlands disturbing permit approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Clark Construction, a national firm and the project’s general contractor, is overseeing the transformation of the 153-acre site that will house a seven building, water-cooled data center campus meant to serve the ever-increasing demand for cloud computing and web-based services like artificial intelligence.
Water for the data centers will initially be sourced from on-site wells (the storage tanks are complete) while a pipeline is constructed that will bring water from county-owned Northeast Creek Reservoir, some 12 miles away.
Two utilities pads have been constructed at the rear of the property for Dominion Energy and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative that will house transformers powering the data center site.
Motorists who travel Kentucky Springs Road have seen a significant increase in traffic around the site as contractors bring in large amounts of gravel and equipment and topsoil is moved off site.
The gravel is sourced from Cedar Mountain Stone Corporation in southern Culpeper County.
The campus includes five construction entrances—four off Haley Drive and one off Kentucky Springs Road according to a permit issued by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
The main construction entrance will be located off Haley Drive, and the county’s erosion and sediment control plan includes provisions to ensure that adjacent roadways are kept clean and free of debris.
A parking area has been constructed across from the Haley Drive entrance to accomomdate the nearly 700 workers on site each day.
While Clark will act as general contractor, other companies will participate throughout the construction process. Shirley Construction, a Northern Virginia-based firm, handles the rough grading.
A spokesperson for Clark noted the site could see up to 1,000 workers during the site preparation and construction process and a number of local food vendors have been contacted to provide meals for the workforce.
Clark is also working with the Louisa County Public School system to recruit and train construction workers for the site that will be moving 10,000-20,000 square foot of dirt per day at the height of the site preparation phase.
Each data center is projected to generate just over $2 million in tax revenue annually over a 15-year period. Twenty to 25 people are expected to be employed at each facility.
Cuckoo District Supervisor Christopher C. McCotter told Life & Times, “For the most part, so far this construction process has been bearable for Cuckoo residents. When there were issues like rocks on the road or muddy runoff into the lake, I can make a phone call to Clark and they work quickly to address the situation. Clark and Amazon will be doing a lot of construction in Louisa County in the coming years and this first big site has been a good test. I will note Laurel Hill Baptist Church, which is an adjoining property owner, received a very nice new, paved parking lot this summer.”
On August 18 Amazon announced it would create a program known as the Amazon Rappahannock Region Community Fund; a program that will award grants totaling $300,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, and Louisa Counties in Virginia. Funding focus areas include: 1) STEM education grants that support hands-on learning, teacher training, and access to technology. Eligible projects include classroom activities, after-school programs and career exploration initiatives, 2) Sustainability and environment grants support projects focused on conservation, renewable energy, and environmental education. Eligible projects include conservation efforts, eco-friendly innovations, and community-based environmental education, 3) Community development grants support projects that enhance local infrastructure, economic growth, and quality of life. Eligible projects include affordable housing, workforce development, and community improvement efforts, 4) Digital skills grants support programs that teach technology, coding, and digital literacy. Eligible projects include coding workshops, tech education programs, and online learning platforms, 5) Cultural heritage preservation grants, support efforts to protect and promote historical sites, traditions, and artifacts. Eligible projects include restoration of landmarks, archival preservation, and cultural education programs and 6) Health and wellbeing grants support programs that improve physical and mental health outcomes. Eligible projects include health education,
Important dates for applying for the grant include: September 25, 2025: Application closed at 5:00 pm; Foundation reviews eligibility and alignment. Week of October 27, 2025: Foundation committee finalizes recommendations; Amazon reviews list. Week of November 17, 2025: Grant awardees notified; funding agreements and payments processed. December 2025: Celebration event held in collaboration with Amazon.
For support in designing a proposal that makes best use of available grant funds, we encourage you to contact Director of Donor Services, Casey Hu (casey.hu@cfrrr.org) or 540-373-9292 x123.
