Developer outlines plan for 400-acre data center campus off Patterson Farm Road; commissioners seek more study on noise, water and timing

TracT, a land‑development company, told the Mooresville Town Board in a work session that it is pursuing a master‑planned 400‑acre data center campus off Patterson Farm Road and described steps the company says are under way to secure power, water and site infrastructure.

The plan TracT presented would keep the bulk of development inward on the property, with 150‑foot building setbacks, a 100‑foot perimeter buffer, multiple preserved areas (about 96 acres, TracT said) and a voluntary cap limiting impervious surface to 50 percent of the site. TracT also proposed limiting building heights near Patterson Farm Road to 65 feet within a quarter‑mile, 80 feet beyond that and a maximum 100‑foot height in other portions of the campus.

Why it matters: Town officials and residents said the proposal could bring significant tax revenue and jobs if a data center operator signs a lease, but they pressed presenters for more concrete answers about long‑term noise levels, sewer impacts, the schedule for power and the legal protections that would limit future developments on the site.

TracT’s team, including chief investment officer Graham Williams and utility and operations specialists, described the company’s approach as building “shovel‑ready” campuses that bring power, fiber, roads and utilities onto a site before an operator commits to build. Williams said TracT’s goal is to “take the front end of that development cycle in the locations that are suitable for data centers,” and to invest privately so local governments do not need to use public funds to make sites ready.

Power and timing: TracT said it has been coordinating with Duke Energy for roughly two years and that Duke confirmed the grid can serve the site; Tracts’ utility lead said a binding power agreement is in place to ensure infrastructure costs are covered by the developer rather than shifted to utility ratepayers. TracT and town staff said they expect initial substation work and energization in 2029 and full project completion in the early 2030s, but emphasized those dates depend on permitting and utility construction schedules.

Water and wastewater: TracT told the board that about 500,000 gallons per day (gpd) of potable water capacity is available to the site under current discussions and that the firm expects to use reclaimed effluent from the Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant once upgrades to that plant (which TracT said are 6–8 years away) are completed. TracT described evaporative cooling technology used in modern data centers and said roughly 60–80 percent of the water used in cooling is lost to evaporation; the remaining wastewater would travel to the town system, TracT said. TracT told the board the developer will pay for off‑site water and sewer extensions and that any new pump station and force main would be dedicated to the town after construction.

Noise and generators: Presenters said the campus would include backup diesel generation — standard industry practice for critical facilities — but that generators and cooling equipment would be screened by building placement, berms or other design features. Philip Sandino, TracT’s SVP of utility development, told the board the industry testing standard TracT plans to follow is “about 30 minutes per month at a partial load of the diesel generator,” and said generators and chillers can be acoustically attenuated. TracT proposed a 55‑decibel limit at the property line and a required sound study at the time of site plan review. Commissioners and residents pushed back, saying a 55‑decibel limit at the property line could still be audible and intrusive at nearby homes and asking for additional evergreen buffers and more conservative decibel targets measured at nearby residences.

Traffic, staging and site controls: TracT’s traffic consultant said data centers generate far less daily traffic than residential subdivisions or many commercial uses. Consultants proposed mitigation measures — a traffic signal at Patterson Farm Road and other turn‑lane improvements required by NCDOT and to be funded by the developer — and included a condition to prohibit construction traffic on Rustic Road. The firm also said it will require a parking/traffic management plan covering downtown impacts.

Zoning, environmental and design controls: TracT said it is pursuing a conditional rezoning and proposed conditions that would restrict the site’s allowed use to data centers, set larger buffers and setbacks than typical industrial code, preserve sensitive wetland areas and impose higher architectural and lighting standards (for example, no up‑lighting, limits on sign illumination, and additional restrictions beyond the town’s current lighting code). The developer said wetlands delineations, Army Corps and NCDEQ coordination, stormwater controls and other required environmental reviews are in progress.

Economic and community benefits: TracT estimated the vertical buildings on the site would represent roughly $5 billion in construction; the company estimated about 200 permanent jobs once a facility is operating and more than 1,000 construction jobs during buildout. TracT shared an estimate — prepared by a national tax analyst — that the school district could see approximately $108 million in cumulative revenue over 20 years from the project; TracT said that figure excludes any future incentive negotiations and assumed town and county tax rates.

Board response and next steps: Commissioners praised elements of the plan but repeatedly said they needed more concrete, verifiable information before considering rezoning or scheduling public hearings: independent, site‑specific noise modeling tied to nearest residences; a clearer breakdown of potable water versus wastewater volumes and the timing of reuse availability; a timetable for Duke Energy substation work with binding guarantees that infrastructure costs will not be borne by ratepayers; and precise construction‑traffic staging plans so required road improvements are in place during heavy construction phases. Town officials also said conditional‑zoning conditions should run with the land and constrain future changes that could alter the development type.

TracT asked the board for continued review; staff and developers said they are available to provide additional technical studies and to post the presentation and supporting materials online. The board and staff emphasized they will circulate a list of specific follow‑up questions to TracT and that additional public engagement and technical review will be scheduled before any formal rezoning or permit votes take place.