QTS Advances Richmond Data Center Expansion with Planned 240MW Capacity
June 12, 2026
QTS Advances Richmond Data Center Expansion with Planned 240MW Capacity
Blackstone-owned data center operator QTS has taken a significant step toward expanding its footprint in Virginia, filing for regulatory approval to develop a new facility at its existing campus outside Richmond. The move underscores the ongoing demand for large-scale digital infrastructure in one of the world’s busiest data center markets.
QTS submitted a permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Norfolk District for the construction of RIC 5, a new building located within the White Oak Technology Park in Henrico County. The project sits on 11 acres of land southwest of the intersection of Williamsburg Road and Technology Boulevard in Sandston. The company is planning three buildings at the site, with Building 5—also referred to as DC-5—being the first to move forward.
“Richmond 5 is part of QTS’s long-term investment in Henrico County—designed to support global digital infrastructure while being developed responsibly, transparently and in partnership with the local community,” the company stated on its website. The development will impact approximately 4.29 acres of palustrine forested wetlands, according to the filing.
QTS currently operates five data center campuses across Virginia, including facilities in Richmond, Manassas, and three in the Ashburn area. The company’s existing Richmond campus, originally a Qimonda semiconductor fabrication plant, was acquired in 2010 for $12 million through a bankruptcy auction and later converted into a data center. That facility now spans 1.3 million square feet and delivers 110MW of capacity across three buildings. QTS owns 200 acres of adjacent land and has roughly one million square feet of additional expansion capacity.
The company previously filed to expand the site in 2022 and later announced plans to add up to 240MW of capacity after acquiring another 200 acres in the area. According to QTS’s website, Richmond 1 is currently listed as offering 240MW on a 100-acre site. In 2024, the firm also acquired large parcels of land in Henrico County, including a distribution center formerly owned by a flooring company. Local press reports indicate QTS is aiming to develop as many as 17 new buildings in the region.
Government permitting documents show that QTS currently has 13 data centers in the area that are either operational, under construction, or in development. Richmond 2, 3, and 5 are all listed as “in-development” on the company’s website, signaling a sustained push to scale capacity in a region that has become a critical hub for cloud and AI workloads.
Source: datacenterdynamics
