Developer of data center in Anne Arundel County wants to expand to double in size
The developer that built a large data center on Sandy Farms Road in Severn has released plans to expand the facility to double its size.
The proposed expansion of the Anne Arundel County data center would add more than 89,000 square feet to the existing structure, which also measures around 89,000 square feet, according to the developer, Oppidan.
The proposal was submitted about 45 days ago, so the developer called a community meeting on Monday to present details of the plans. The holding of such meetings is required when data center construction happens in areas that are developed and zoned for residential use.
The 37-foot-tall data center is one of only a few in Anne Arundel County, according to our media partner, the Baltimore Banner.
Data center moratorium won't affect expansion
The expansion comes as the county prepares to implement a 15-month moratorium on data center development, which the Anne Arundel County Council unanimously passed earlier this year. The moratorium is set to take effect Nov. 26, but it will not affect data centers already in development or those choosing to expand.
Oppidan was represented at the community meeting by its engineering firm, Kimley-Horn and Associates. Company representative Jeff Smith outlined the reasons the developer thinks the expansion is needed.
"You know, we built the first center a couple years ago, and since then, they have a bigger need now," Smith said. He added that the current property owner requested more capacity and there was adequate area to expand.
When asked about the amount of water the expanded data center could require, Smith said the facility uses an air cooling system, which uses less water.
"Some older data centers did have a large water use. But nowadays, with the air cooled, they don't," he said. "It's almost like running an AC unit in your house."
"This site doesn't have a big water use, so we're not one of those that pulls millions of gallons of water per month or per year, so it's a lot less," Smith added.
Land previously used for farming
The data center is on about 50 acres of land on Sandy Farm Road. It sits near the intersection of Maryland Route 100 and Telegraph Road, just south of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Much of the land was previously used to grow sweet potatoes and tobacco for one of northern Anne Arundel's oldest farming families, the Banner reports. The property is currently owned by GI Partners, which purchased it late last year for over $101 million, according to deed records.
The addition requires removing "a small portion of trees" marked for conservation on the center's west side, a move the county already approved, Smith said. A similar number of trees will be planted on the facility's northeast side, he said.
Certain paved areas and utilities on the west side will also be demolished to make room for the new structure, he said. A total of 58 parking spaces will be placed around the center, and an expanded storm drain system will be installed to feed the center's existing retaining pond.