By Gordon Anderson | gordon@rantnc.com

The Sanford-Lee County Planning Department has issued a permit for construction of a data center on Lower Moncure Road, The Rant has learned.

The permit, dated September 25, allows for the construction of a more than 300,000 square foot data center at 4015 Lower Moncure Road. It is valid until March 24, 2027.

Virginia-based PointOne announced the 90 megawatt data center project on June 8, in conjunction with developer Helix Ventures. The building will sit on 56 acres and be owned and operated when complete by Dallas-based CyrusOne. CyrusOne operates more than 60 data centers worldwide.

The permit lists the value of the structure at $185,388,791. Kelsey Fehr, vice president of strategic operations and stakeholder relations for PointOne, said that number “represents that capital investment for the building structure alone” without any equipment. She said CyrusOne’s capital investment in related equipment like chillers, generators, and sound attenuation brings the total value of that part of the project to roughly $900 million. When IT equipment from customers is included, the project’s total value is roughly $3.6 billion, Fehr said. 

Regarding the issuance of the construction permit, Fehr told The Rant “PointOne is committed to bringing a responsible, thoughtfully designed data center to Lee County in partnership with CyrusOne. As the project moves forward, we are focused on engaging local vendors and contractors where possible, helping ensure that more of the investment and economic activity generated by the development stays within the community. Construction is expected to begin this fall, marking an important milestone in bringing this project to life. As development progresses, we look forward to creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and generating broader economic opportunities in the area. We are committed to being a responsible community partner and believe this project can make a positive, lasting contribution to the Lee County community while delivering the infrastructure needed for the future.”

The proposal came after months of speculation and even uproar in Lee County about data centers. The issue spilled into public discourse toward the end of 2025, when it was reported that a company called Deep River Data was interested in accessing natural gas from an old test well in order to power an AI data operation. Concerns about fracking, as well as potential adverse impacts from that project – which was never officially proposed or submitted for approvals – led local leaders to adopt a rule set governing data centers in Sanford and Lee County. Those rules, among other things, banned fracking-associated data centers.

PointOne’s announcement on June 8 was followed by still more protest of a data center in the area. Citizens packed multiple meetings of the Lee County Board of Commissioners over the summer, using the public comment period to demand a data center moratorium as well as the addition of stricter data center provisions – most prominently provisions regulating noise – to the county’s Unified Development Ordinance. The board has so far declined to take up the issue, and chair Samantha Martin reiterated to The Rant earlier in September that the project’s fate would be decided by administrative review.

The permit indicates the contractor for the project will be Hitt Contracting of Falls Church, Virginia. The cost of the permit was $76,591.20.

Fehr told The Rant in June that the project is considered “phase one” of the development, which would total 430 acres. The remainder of the development hasn’t been planned, she said, and end users and use types are currently unknown other than they would be light industrial uses.

Data centers are typically warehouse-type structures that are home to computer servers powering a variety of operations like cloud storage, website hosting, streaming platforms, financial transactions, and, increasingly, artificial intelligence operations. The clients CyrusOne would serve haven’t been publicly announced. Economic developers expect the building itself to generate at least $1 million in new tax revenue locally, plus whatever revenue comes from the servers and equipment the building contains.

Katy Hancock, CyrusOne’s vice president of community affairs, said the company has more than 25 years of experience in the data center industry and is bringing that to Lee County “as we move forward in accordance with county requirements.”

“Phase I represents more than $900 million in investment, bringing significant new taxable value to Lee County while incorporating modern systems and safeguards to manage sound, water use, power infrastructure, and impacts on surrounding properties,” she said. “As construction moves forward, our focus remains on executing the project responsibly and ensuring this investment creates meaningful, lasting value for Lee County.”