Plans are advancing for a major expansion at QTS’ White Oak Technology Park hub in eastern Henrico County, where the company is seeking approvals for two new campuses that would add 17 data center buildings spanning nearly 8 million square feet.
The proposed expansion covers approximately 1,100 acres across the RIC4 and RIC5 campuses.
RIC4 Campus
RIC4 is set to occupy about 478 acres on the opposite side of Technology Boulevard from QTS’s three existing campuses in the area, which together include 16 data center facilities that are either complete or under development. Construction is already in progress, with Clark Construction serving as the general contractor for the project.
The site was acquired by QTS from the Henrico Economic Development Authority in April 2024 for approximately $43.8 million, shortly before zoning changes were approved for the nearby RIC5 property. Later that same year, the company expanded its footprint further by purchasing additional land for RIC5—around 400 acres at 3250 and 3555 E. Williamsburg Road—from Hourigan for close to $119 million.
Plans for RIC4 call for 10 separate data center buildings totaling more than 3.7 million square feet. These facilities would occupy roughly 127 acres of the overall parcel, leaving the remainder—around 350 acres—largely preserved as buffer or open space.
RIC5 campus
According to county development plans, the RIC5 campus would include seven data centers totaling more than 4.1 million square feet. These facilities and associated development would occupy 236 acres within a larger roughly 622-acre site, with the balance preserved as open space.
Individual building sizes are expected to vary widely, generally ranging from about 350,000 to nearly 600,000 square feet. The largest structure, planned within the RIC5 area along Williamsburg Road east of Technology Boulevard, is projected to approach 1.2 million square feet and would include adjacent mechanical and cooling infrastructure.
QTS currently operates or has in development more than 3 million square feet across 16 data center facilities at White Oak Technology Park, located near the I-64 and I-295 interchange.
Backup generator permit expansion
The company submitted an application to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality seeking permits for 370 diesel-fired emergency generators to support the new buildings. Additionally, these would add to 544 emergency generators and 11 cooling towers that QTS already holds permits to construct and operate at its existing facilities in the area.
QTS said the project remains in the permitting phase, with applications focused on emergency backup generation systems. The company said the generators serve only as backup power and will not operate continuously or supply electricity during normal facility operations. QTS added that the systems meet all applicable state and federal air quality standards.
The company assembled land for the expansion in previous years. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies continue reviewing environmental impacts, including effects on wetlands and streams, as part of the permitting process.
Officials have not released a timeline for construction start or project completion.
The development comes as the Richmond region continues to see significant data center investment driven by growing demand for digital infrastructure.
Additionally, the White Oak Technology Park expansion in Henrico County reflects continued hyperscale growth in Virginia’s established data center corridors. Nationally, similar large-scale master-planned approaches are also emerging in other U.S. markets, including Tract’s $20 billion Buckeye Technology Park in Arizona, which repurposes the former Cipriani residential site into a multi-gigawatt data center campus designed for long-term hyperscale demand.
White Oak data center expansion: Factsheet
Overview
- Operator: QTS (Quality Technology Services)
- Location: White Oak Technology Park, eastern Henrico County, Virginia (near I-64/I-295 interchange)
- Scope: Addition of 17 new data center buildings across two new campuses (RIC4 and RIC5)
- Total New Space: Nearly 8 million square feet
- Total Land: Approximately 1,100 acres
Key Details:
RIC4 Campus
Site Size: 478 acres
Scope: 10 buildings, ~3.7M sq. ft. total
Status: Under construction (Clark Construction lead contractor)
Land Use: 127 acres developed, remainder open space/buffer areas
RIC5 Campus:
7 data centers totaling more than 4.1 million square feet on 236 acres of a roughly 622-acre site
- Existing Footprint: More than 3 million square feet across approximately 16 data center facilities (built, under construction, or in development) at the same park
Current Status
- Development plans approved by Henrico County
- In active permitting phase
- Submitted application to Virginia DEQ for 370 diesel-fired emergency generators
- Already permitted at existing facilities: 544 emergency generators and 11 cooling towers
