By Dan McDermott
9:00pm EDT March 17, 2025
STRASBURG, Va.—Representatives from a new Michigan-based data center site selection development company held an informational meeting in Strasburg Town Hall this evening to discuss Project Tallmadge, an 87 acre site that may be home to a medium sized data center.
I attended the meeting as a curious resident—and someone mentioned there would be free pizza.
Takanock Engineering Manager Joel Zemanek said Tallmadge will consist of two roughly one million square foot buildings plus power generation sub-buildings on an 87-acre site located between I-81 Exit 296 and Mercury Paper.
For perspective, the Front Royal Super Walmart is about 200,000 square feet.
Takanock’s role is to identify the site, make plans, conduct studies, and then hand over a “shovel-ready” location to another company that actually will build the data center. Zemanek said they do not yet know who will build and/or operate the data center, but ‘they will all want to be here,’ and a bidding process is likely.
This site is attractive because it is properly zoned for a data center, has ample power infrastructure, and offers good highway access with major fiber optic cables.
Local residents asked questions about water, noise, lighting, access and other concerns.
Zemanek said the data center would use less water than some others do and would be primarily air-cooled. The facility would fill its tanks initially, then only require occasional topping off—similar to a swimming pool—along with standard water use by employees.
A noise study is underway, but representatives did not provide specific details on the expected noise levels. “Is this something that I’ll hear as I drive by and the windows are rolled down or something I’ll hear in downtown Strasburg all the time?” was my question that wasn’t really answered.
One nearby resident expressed concern that increased lighting was diminishing her nighttime view of the countryside. Company and town officials suggested that the center would comply with codes, which restrict light in various ways, but no estimate was provided.
One resident asked what the company would do to help local schools.
“The data center will pay [millions] in local taxes,” said Zemanek.
Hundreds of construction jobs would be created for a few years to build the data center, followed by long-term positions for those managing, maintaining, and securing the facility.
While many questions remain unanswered, one thing seems certain: Fox’s Pizza would likely welcome more of these meetings.
dan@route11news.com
Project Tallmadge: Data Center Proposal in Strasburg
- Location: Strasburg, Virginia
- Company: Takanock, a data center site selection development firm, will sell the site to another company which will build and/or operate the data center
- Project Overview: A proposed data center to integrate with the community, enhancing local infrastructure and supporting digital reliability.
- Key Features:
- Sustainability: Utilizing advanced technology for clean energy solutions, reducing environmental impact.
- Waterless Cooling System: The project will feature a ‘near-waterless’ cooling system, reducing overall water consumption.
- Energy Source: Plans to rely on natural gas infrastructure initially, with a goal to transition to clean hydrogen in the future.
- Economic Impact: Expected to significantly boost tax revenue for the town and create hundreds of construction and some long-term jobs.
- Timeline:
- Q4 2024: Community engagement
- Q1 2025: Site plan submission
- Q1 2025: Due diligence
- Q2 2025: Land acquisition
- Q3 2027: Construction begins
- Size: 87 acres
• • Projected Local Investment: $8 billion
