Point One Data Centers approach Charles City leaders for direction, timeline

A company that wants to create the biggest development in Charles City County has urged local leaders for direction and information.

Point One Data Centers addressed their concerns with Charles City’s Board of Supervisors during a Tuesday afternoon work session.

Represented by Don Pollard and Steve Russell, Point One approached county leaders for information in five specific areas.

Pollard first asked the board to create a tangible tax code to record data on personal property tax in regard to data centers. He said this information will be important when interacting with tenants who plan to invest in the data center.

Item two was the situation regarding real estate taxes in the county. Pollard said that Point One understood that Charles City would not be able to provide financial assistance to the development and that the developer would incur 100 percent of cost, including services normally provided by the county.

Russell spoke on item number three relating to building permit fees. He commented that county officials were unable to complete the review process and review plans of construction without third-party assistance. Russell added that Point One would like information in order to move forward to meet the time frame for development.

Item four was a request for Point One and Charles City County to have a development agreement. The agreement would cover what projects would be covered during this time and whose responsibility those items would fall under.

Finally, the fifth item was Point One’s intention to make a contribution to the county. Pollard commented that a message needs to get across with the company intending to stay within Charles City for several years. However, over that time they need direction and answers to market the project so that they, along with possible tenants, could invest into areas in the county that include the food bank and local schools.

Point One’s request to meet with the board came as a result of not having any clear direction. The group has asked that the list of items be addressed within 10 working days. Russell said the goal was to have everything in place by the end of Feb. 2026, with grading on the proposed site initiating in Mar. 2026. Pollard added that the agenda and requests has been in the county’s hands for the past few weeks, but the project has been in the works over the past couple of years with the same requests made over that time frame.

Questions arose from District 1 representative Ryan Patterson, who has been vocal on several projects in his jurisdiction.

“When it comes to a project of this magnitude, I want to know about a timeline of things,” Patterson said. “I have questions for the developer and would like them to answer what they can.”

The District 1 representative asked about the reiteration of the financial commitments from the county, which Point One said that the county wouldn’t be obligated to anything. The developer also said that they plan to improve the water system and local sanitation facility, but also indicated that they needed to know potential costs for the reviews and third-party fees.

Patterson continued his line of questioning, asking about tenants and other number-related questions for the projects. While Point One could not reveal the list of potential clients, they confirmed that at least six property buildings would be on location and that the tenants would drive the jobs for the site.”

“We definitely need more discussion on this,” Patterson concluded before asking Charles City County Administrator Keith Rogers about a potential timeline to answer the questions. Rogers responded that while he doesn’t have any specifics as he inherited the project, he believes he will have a clearer picture and information requested by Point One at the Oct. 28 regular board meeting.

Pollard chimed in that the level of importance to stay on track affects them and allows them to stay in a competitive market. Among major concerns include ordering critical equipment such as backup generators and natural gas turbines. Russell added that once the project begins, Point One will be in the county for a long time.

“This is a long-time investment,” Russell said. “We’ll be here a minimum of at least six or seven years.”

Charles City supervisors are expected to receive more information about the project at their next regularly scheduled board meeting.