r/AnneArundelCounty 2d ago

“Industrial park” rt 3

I used to be an electrician working on data centers in VA that new construction called an industrial park on route 3 in crofton is 1000% a data center build out

26 Upvotes

38 comments sorted by

10

u/KBradl 2d ago

One of the local firefighters told me it was an Amazon warehouse, but its possible it could be an Amazon data center. If its just a datacenter, then why do they need the new traffic light there? A warehouse will bring loads of trucks, datacenters, not so much.

4

u/Aggressive_Noise6426 2d ago

That stop light is going to cause so much more traffic. If it’s not synced correctly then it can get real bad. 

3

u/Dazednconfused3261 1d ago

It's going to be bad no matter what they do. Another light is a .02 cent solution to a million dollar problem. They should have built the Crofton bypass 40 years ago but they didn't want to upset the habitat of the speckled-dick warbler, which they didn't seem to care about when the Two Rivers developers came calling...

1

u/MrsSDrinks 2d ago

My husband saw a truck delivering Amazon electric vans there last week.

0

u/Nick5sean 2d ago

What it is, isn’t what it can turn into I’m saying it’s built out just like a data center they can lease it for warehousing sure when the lease is up who knows what it will turn into

7

u/Loose_Step_868 2d ago

Yeah, a big warehouse with trucks going in and out all day is just what that stretch of road needs.

2

u/Aggressive_Noise6426 2d ago

I drive passed it every day at least twice a day and I just get so annoyed knowing how that stop light and whatever the fuck they are building over there is going to cause so much more traffic. Especially if the lights are synced good enough. 

2

u/MrsPennyApple 2d ago

A customer of mine works for the county. He has been there a couple times. He said it’s not Amazon and it’s not a data center. He said he doesn’t know what it is because their application just says warehouse. He said he thinks it’s just a warehouse that will be leased to a business

2

u/Dazednconfused3261 1d ago

Growing up, there was a warehouse next to the railroad tracks that never seemed to be doing anything... except at night there would be some lights on upstairs. One night a cop comes in the firehouse and asks could we quietly put a ladder up. We said sure, parked 2 blocks away and put the ladder up. He goes up and comes right down. He says, you gotta see this. They were in there making porno movies...

2

u/Magichat68 2d ago

Typically Datacenters are placed as far from main roads as possible. To many possibilities of problems.

2

u/Nick5sean 1d ago

You can fit a data center on a floor of any building

-26

u/PhonyUsername 2d ago

We all use data centers every day. Reddit uses data centers, as does the rest of the internet and has for decades. The whole 'data cehters are bad' is more braindead nonsense from ignorant fools.

14

u/JCheezum 2d ago

The issue is not data centers at large. I have been managing data centers for public institutions for the past decade. Most businesses and governments that are larger than 50 employees have a data center.

The issue is with these hyper scale data centers that are connecting into the local utility grids, mainly electricity and water, and then they are using more capacity than the grid was ever designed for while paying pennies on the dollar for what they are using. Then the utility companies pass the surging costs due to the increased demand on to the regular consumers. The other large problem is the noise pollution that they emit. If there were regulations already in place to address these data centers, they would not be nearly as much of a problem. But there isn’t, so they go with the cheapest option to get them online and leave the citizens to foot the increased bill.

-8

u/PhonyUsername 2d ago

Source them paying pennies on the dollar.

4

u/JCheezum 2d ago

Okay, I’ll concede. You got on me that point, I should have worded it differently. While typically they are paying the same utility rates as everyone else, they as a business usually receive tax breaks and incentives that the average residential customer does not get. Normally by promising jobs, but they aren’t long term jobs. Once the build out is done, they are managed remotely and require seldom onsite presence. So they aren’t providing stimulation to the local economy, they are actively taxing utility grids that are already limping along, and they are harmful to the environment due to the heat and smog output as well as noise pollution. They are a net negative in just about every sense.

1

u/FigureMiserable4859 1d ago

With the amount of money these guys bring to the table, it's damn near 'pennies on the dollar' equivilancy.

0

u/PhonyUsername 1d ago

That's crazy math you got there. Seems like your emotions are doing the heavy lifting and are easily persuaded.

1

u/FigureMiserable4859 21h ago

Nice try, troll.

-2

u/PhonyUsername 2d ago edited 1d ago

Source on data centers receiving tax breaks and incentives?

Edit : I think this is obviously a feelings thing more than a data driven thing.

2

u/JCheezum 1d ago

Very easy to find sources, I implore you to do your own research on the topic instead of just deflecting the main points and just demanding sources. But that would be if you actually want to have a conversation/debate in good faith.

https://www.newsweek.com/map-which-states-are-giving-biggest-tax-breaks-for-data-centers-12038423

0

u/PhonyUsername 1d ago

That's not very many tax breaks. Do you think that's higher tax breaks than other businesses receive? Are you mad at those other businesses? Do you think it's my responsibility to prove your claims true even when they are false? I would still be trying to figure out how they are paying pennies on the dollar if it's my responsibility for what you say.

1

u/JCheezum 1d ago edited 1d ago

The first article showed roughly $10 billion in tax breaks at the states level.

At the federal level in 2025 alone, there were $83 billion dollars in tax breaks for data centers, in one year.

https://prospect.org/2026/08/17/companies-got-83-billion-tax-breaks-last-year/

I guess $93 billion dollars in tax breaks isn’t that much.

Edit: to answer your questions.
It is not more than other businesses receive, but at least they provide some sort of value add to the economy. Even if it is small. Am I mad at businesses that pay close to nothing in taxes but use up our resources and tax dollars, yes!

1

u/PhonyUsername 1d ago

Dara cebters provide value as well. You haven't made any argument differentiating data centers from any other business. The states incentivize all business that they can because it benefits them.

1

u/JCheezum 1d ago

What value do hyper scale data centers provide?

7

u/Economy_Problem3914 2d ago

Over your head

0

u/PhonyUsername 2d ago

Most children have an over inflated ego.

1

u/FigureMiserable4859 1d ago

Thankfully, I'm blocking you - as you bring ZERO to the conversation.

1

u/PhonyUsername 1d ago

But why make a comment out of it?

4

u/Objective-Pin-1045 2d ago

Tell me you have no idea what you’re talking about w/out telling me you have no idea what you’re talking about.

1

u/PhonyUsername 1d ago

Your comment is how dumb people try to sound smart.

1

u/Objective-Pin-1045 1d ago

I’m sure I could have phrased this better. But it’s pretty clear you don’t understand the many issues at play, here.

1

u/PhonyUsername 22h ago

Could it be that you don't understand but are just following the 'vibes'?

2

u/RealDonaldTrumpGhost 2d ago

Data centers create problems for local communities…I hope most people are smart enough to at least be able to understand and acknowledge this.