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Prince Edward supervisors endorse master agreement to advance Heartland data‑center project
Summary
The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to endorse a master agreement supporting the Industrial Development Authority's planned sale of the Heartland Innovative Technology Park to AVAIO Digital Partners and to authorize county execution and attorney negotiations, while staff outlined the county's infrastructure and financing commitments.
The Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors voted to endorse a master agreement that would allow the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to sell the Heartland Innovative Technology Park to AVAIO Digital Partners, LLC and to authorize the board chairman to execute the county's portion of the agreement.
The vote followed a staff presentation that summarized the master agreement and the related purchase-and-sale action previously approved by the IDA on Dec. 20, 2024. County staff said the master agreement spells out county responsibilities to pursue grant funding for site infrastructure — including water, a water tank, sewer connection to the Town of Farmville, and road improvements to Persimmon Tree Fork Road — and estimates those infrastructure costs "probably in the neighborhood of $25,000,000." Staff also said the company agreed to backstop a portion of that funding and that the county would commit to an incentive program to reimburse up to 50% of required infrastructure improvements over a 10-year period if grant funds prove insufficient.
"I move that the Board of Supervisors endorse and support the upcoming sale by the Industrial Development Authority of Prince Edward County, Virginia of the property referred to as Heartland Park to AVAIO Digital Partners, LLC, and approve a master agreement which includes both the Industrial Development Authority of Prince Edward County, Virginia, as well as the County of Prince Edward, and authorize the Chairman of the Board to execute the master agreement and direct the County Attorney to work with the attorneys representing AVAIO Digital Partners 2, LLC, to put the master agreement in its final form," a supervisor said when moving the measure.
Board members asked no substantive amendments during the meeting. Staff noted coordination with Dominion Energy will be necessary to secure the electric service needed for a data center campus and said that utility availability will be a key trigger for developer construction. After the roll-call vote, supervisors thanked staff and Industrial Development Authority members for work on the project; staff said the county and AVAIO would issue a joint press release and asked the board to refrain from additional comment until that release was distributed.
The board authorized the county attorney to finalize the master agreement language with AVAIO's counsel. No further formal conditions or limitations were recorded in the meeting minutes beyond the motion and the staff summary.
Votes at a glance: the motion to endorse and authorize execution of the master agreement carried in a recorded roll-call vote with all present members voting yes.
Background: The IDA approved the related purchase-and-sale agreement on Dec. 20, 2024; the board's action at this meeting is to endorse the master agreement that binds the county to its infrastructure and incentive commitments and to allow the chairman and county attorney to finalize execution details.
