STACK Infrastructure Proposes Rabbit Run Technology Park: A Deep Dive into Culpeper's Newest Data Center Hub

The landscape of Culpeper County, Virginia, is poised for a significant technological expansion with the proposed development of the Rabbit Run Technology Park. The project is proposed by SAC III Acquisition Co., LLC, an affiliate of STACK Infrastructure, according to county and state filings. Spearheaded by the civil and consulting engineering experts at Bohler Engineering, this project outlines a state-of-the-art campus engineered to balance industrial utility with environmental and aesthetic mindfulness.

Project Scope and Strategic Location

Situated on a 31.514-acre parcel at 14433 Germanna Highway, the proposed site sits strategically at the intersection of Route 15/29 (James Madison Highway) and Route 3 (Germanna Highway). The development centers around two 2-story data center buildings, with Building 1 spanning a total of 129,953 gross square feet (approximately 65,000 square feet per floor). The campus layout is engineered to optimize critical infrastructure while remaining within local land-use guidelines.

A Strategic Fit Within the Culpeper Tech Zone (CTZ)

The Rabbit Run development is part of a broader master-planned vision known as the Culpeper Tech Zone (CTZ). In 2021, Culpeper County Economic Development (CCED) consolidated five previously distinct, incentivized technology zones into a single, cohesive 950-acre technology corridor along the Germanna and James Madison Highways. This strategic grouping was designed specifically to limit industrial sprawl, preserve the county's famous rural and historical character, and streamline the immense power and fiber optic arrays data center facilities require.

The consolidated zone coordinates tech infrastructure with surrounding public works and local educational assets. CCED is actively fostering development pipelines with regional facilities like the Culpeper Technology Education Center (CTEC) and Germanna Community College to provide local high school and trade students with direct career paths in IT, network engineering, and advanced mechanical trades.

Development Timeline, Cost, and Power Infrastructure

As a foundational campus within the technology corridor, Rabbit Run aligns with the long-term, phased rollout of the surrounding zone:

• Timeline & Status: While the precise capital expenditure remains confidential, the project has steadily progressed through key state environmental reviews with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Notably, an in-progress Virginia Water Protection (VWP) General Permit coverage application for the Rabbit Run Technology Park was requested by SAC III Acquisition Co, LLC and SI NVA05C, LLC, both STACK Infrastructure-affiliated entities. Full development of the surrounding CTZ corridor is slated to roll out progressively, with targeted completion scaling into the 2030s.
• Power Demands: Building 1 is designed to support 720 server racks per data hall at 15kW per rack. This equates to 27 MWe of critical electrical load per data hall, yielding a total critical campus load of 48 MWe and a total utility load of 72 MWe at a 1.5 Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating.
• Grid Integration: To accommodate the massive energy footprints of these facilities without stringing high-voltage transmission wires chaotically across the county, Dominion Energy has proposed a centralized 230kV Electric Transmission Project tailored specifically for the CTZ. ARB staff reports indicate that while internal electrical support gear is on-site, no standalone public utility or massive regional substation will be placed directly on the Rabbit Run acreage.
• Emergency Redundancy: To protect mission-critical operations against grid failure, backup power generators will be stacked in a dedicated equipment yard immediately adjacent to the facility structures.

Architectural Design & Massing Mitigation

Data centers inherently require vast, windowless "big box" environments. To fulfill the county's strict aesthetic mandates, STACK Infrastructure's development team has integrated multiple premium exterior finish elements to visually break down the building's massing and inject human-scale proportions:

• Administrative Hub: The administrative offices feature crisp insulated metal panels paired with modern aluminum storefront glass systems. Vertical pilasters create rhythmic shadows along the facade, punctuated by alternating colored panels. A cantilevered 18-inch overhead soffit accents the entry corner to establish a welcoming, approachable entry scale.
• Data Halls: The main data halls utilize specialized precast concrete panels featuring three distinct textures and coordinated earth-toned tinting to establish vertical variations.
• Height Compliance: The main structures feature a clean profile measuring 54'-4" to the top of the structural parapet, comfortably staying under the Light Industry (LI) district's maximum allowance.
• Industrial Screening: Rooftop mechanical cooling units are concealed behind specialized screens built with horizontal fins, bringing the secondary structure height to 69'-4". Ground-level generator yards are isolated behind a 60'-8" screening wall composed of heavy-gauge insulated metal panels and industrial louvers finished in dark bronze. Service areas and loading docks are physically depressed into the grading to hide heavy vehicle activity from oncoming highway views.

Lighting and Dark-Sky Compliance

Designed to satisfy Culpeper County's Article 32 Outdoor Lighting Standards, the engineering team prioritized balancing reliable perimeter campus safety with the preservation of rural dark skies:

• Lighting Design: The site utilizes energy-efficient, modern LED luminaires maintaining a crisp 4000 Kelvin correlated color temperature.
• Spill Prevention: All exterior lighting utilizes strict full-cutoff, downward-directed orientations. Back-side shield accessories (house-side shields) are specified on perimeter lanes to suppress glare and keep light spill flatly zeroed at nearby property boundaries.
• Pole Elevation Adjustments: While the initial layouts requested 28-foot mounting poles, county planners recommended dropping the maximum pole fixture height to 25 feet. This lower profile mitigates long-distance sightline glare for vehicular traffic traversing the adjacent Route 29 thoroughfare.

The Architectural Review Board Pathway

Because the proposed technology park occupies prime real estate within Culpeper County's designated Entrance Corridor Overlay District, it cannot obtain final site plan approval without securing a formal Certificate of Appropriateness. The Architectural Review Board, working under the planning commission, evaluates the site's massing, exterior palettes, and buffer materials to ensure that this critical piece of 21st-century infrastructure remains completely harmonious with Culpeper County's natural and historic heritage.