Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the Fredericksburg City Council is set to vote on a resolution that supports the continued exploration and attraction of data centers to the city, mainly targeting the Celebrate Virginia South area near the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball stadium. This decision follows recent adjustments in Fredericksburg’s tax policies, which align the city’s computer and peripheral tax rates with those in surrounding Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, part of Planning District 16.

According to city documents, efforts to lure data centers to Fredericksburg have been in the works for over a decade. In 2018, the council began publicly discussing the possibility of voting on amendments to the city code to designate data centers as a by-right use in specific zoning areas. Last month, the council unanimously agreed to a reduced tax rate of $1.25 per $100 of assessed value on all computer and peripheral equipment used in data centers, a move mirrored by other surrounding localities.