Google held its first public open house Wednesday evening at Lord Botetourt High School in Daleville, Virginia, offering residents a chance to speak directly with company representatives about the tech giant’s planned data center campus in Botetourt County — a project that has divided the community for months.
This sounds so familiar. I went to a public open house event at a high school two weeks ago here in Gilroy, California. Except the hosts were AWS and they were here to reassure about the tech giant’s planned data center campus.
“Trust us,” they said. “Power? It won’t go up. Water? We won’t use it all. Noise? You won’t hear it over the sounds of the highway noise.”
So, now it is Virginia’s turn and they are getting the song and dance from Google.
Supporters and Opponents Clash Outside
The event, held from 5 to 7 p.m. in the school’s lower gymnasium, drew both supporters and protesters. Opponents of the project gathered outside the school before the doors opened, continuing a campaign of community opposition that has intensified since details about the project’s water usage became public earlier this year.
Inside, Google set up information stations covering water usage, power infrastructure, sound and environmental considerations, community benefits, local revenue impacts, and project planning and zoning. Attendees could drop in at any time, explore the stations, and ask questions.
Water Concerns Take Center Stage
Water usage has been the most contentious issue surrounding the project. The data center campus, planned for a 312-acre site at the Greenfield Industrial Park, could draw between 2 million and 8 million gallons of water per day from Carvins Cove reservoir, according to an agreement between Botetourt County and the Western Virginia Water Authority. Google has pledged to minimize consumption, support water replenishment efforts, and finance long-range water supply studies.
The county’s website states that recreational access to Carvins Cove — used for fishing, kayaking, biking, and hiking — will be maintained. Google has also committed to supporting research at Virginia Tech to study watershed health and improvements to the regional water supply.
Jobs and Economic Impact
The project is expected to create up to 1,000 temporary construction jobs at peak and a minimum of 150 permanent positions across three planned data centers, with Google committing to no fewer than 50 high-paying jobs per building. The county estimates the campus will generate roughly $10 million per year in local tax revenue once operational.
Google purchased the land for $14.06 million in June 2025 and pledged $4 million over five years for community projects. Site grading is expected to begin in 2026, with each data center taking 18 to 24 months to construct. The company said project information would be made available online for residents who could not attend Wednesday’s event.
