NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Following a petition generating more than 4,000 signatures against a potential data center, Newport News city leaders are clarifying there is no proposal on the table to build one.
"We would love for people to come out and make their voices heard, but there's no proposal," Mayor Phillip Jones told News 3. "I think people just got ahead of their skis."
In October, during a meeting in Newport News, a site off Dozier Road near Fort Eustis was identified as a potential location for a data center, leading to a Newport News resident named Amanda Doughty to create the petition.
"This is my home," Doughty told News 3 last month. "It's not something I want for my community."
Last week, Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany said he met with Doughty for two hours about her concerns.
"I want to be very clear: there are no conversations, plans, or negotiations underway to bring a data center to Newport News," Bethany wrote on Facebook.
The city has identified 12 sites for potential development.
Bethany said he could see the potential for the city to attract smaller interconnection facilities, but said conversations regarding that have not begun.
"When and if a path forward emerges, the process will be open, transparent, and guided by meaningful public input," he said.
News 3 asked Mayor Jones if he'd want to see a data center in the city one day in the future. "I would love to look at any ways we can maximize revenue, but like I said there's no proposal on the table," he answered.
Doughty told News 3 Monday she doesn't foresee a data center coming to the city in the near future, but said she would be ready to mobilize opposition with others if further steps are taken.
