Topic 02 of 13 · 23 guides

Land & site fundamentals

Acreage, shape, access and assembly: what a parcel has to be before anything else matters.

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Parcel Assembly for Data Center CampusesHow developers combine adjoining parcels into one data center site: options and contracts, holdouts, title and survey work, sequencing and confidentiality.10 min →
Gross vs. Buildable Acreage: How Much of a Site You Can UseHow to get from a site’s gross acreage to the buildable area a data center can use, what gets subtracted, and how to estimate it early from public data.10 min →
Site Shape, Access and Frontage for Data CentersWhy parcel shape, road access and frontage matter for data centers: setbacks, legal access, heavy-haul delivery, fire access roads and what to check early.10 min →
Greenfield vs. Brownfield Data Center Sites: Which Is Better?How greenfield and brownfield sites compare for data centers on power, schedule, environmental liability, entitlement and cost, and when each one makes sense.10 min →
Can a Retired Power Plant or Industrial Site Become a Data Center?What to check before turning a retired power plant, mill or factory into a data center: grid connection, switchyard, water rights, coal ash, demolition, title.10 min →
Mineral Rights and Easements: How They Affect Data Center LandHow severed mineral rights, surface access rights and easements can limit a data center site, and the agreements used to clear or work around them.10 min →
Title Review and ALTA Surveys for Data Center LandHow title commitments and ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys work for data center land, which Table A items to order, and how to clear Schedule B exceptions.9 min →
Can Farmland Be Converted to a Data Center?What it takes to convert farmland to a data center: rezoning and use permits, rollback taxes, farm leases, drain tile, CRP contracts and water rights.11 min →
Data Center Land Option Agreements: Key Terms for LandownersKey terms in a data center land option agreement: option fees, term and extensions, diligence access, price, assignment, termination and farm use until closing.9 min →
Ground Leases for Data Centers: Terms, Rent, Financing and ReversionHow data center ground leases work: term length, rent commencement and escalations, leasehold financing, reversion of improvements, and landowner pros and cons.10 min →
What Drives Data Center Land Value? Power, Timing, Entitlements and SizeWhat drives data center land value: committed power, distance to substations, timing, entitlements and parcel size, with 2024–2026 market data and price examples.8 min →
Topographic Surveys and LiDAR for Data Center Site SelectionHow topographic surveys and USGS 3DEP lidar are used in data center site selection: accuracy, contours, earthwork estimates and when to order a field survey.9 min →
Heavy-Haul Routes and Construction Access for Data CentersHow to check heavy-haul access for a data center site: transformer superloads, bridge ratings, rail spurs, permits and construction truck traffic.8 min →
Certified Sites and Shovel-Ready Programs: What They Mean for Data CentersWhat state certified site and shovel-ready programs verify, how megasite certification works, and what a data center still has to check on a certified site.9 min →
Eminent Domain and Transmission Line Easements: A Landowner’s GuideHow utilities acquire transmission line easements, when eminent domain applies, how compensation is valued, and what data center grid growth means for owners.9 min →
How Data Centers Are Taxed: Property Taxes, Abatements and PILOTsHow property taxes on data centers work: assessing land, buildings and servers, abatements and PILOT deals, and what the revenue means for places like Loudoun.9 min →
Federal Land for AI Data Centers: DOE Sites, BLM and Military BasesFederal land for AI data centers: DOE sites at Idaho, Oak Ridge, Paducah and Savannah River, the 2025 executive orders, BLM rights-of-way and military leases.8 min →
Conservation Easements and Deed Restrictions on Data Center LandHow conservation easements, farmland preservation easements and deed restrictions block data center development, and when they can be amended or terminated.9 min →
Subdivision, Platting and Lot Consolidation for Data Center SitesHow subdivision plats, lot line adjustments and lot consolidation work for data center sites, how long plat approval takes, and how to sequence it with zoning.9 min →
Agricultural Tax Status and Rollback Taxes When Farmland Is DevelopedHow agricultural use-value assessment and rollback taxes work when farmland is sold or rezoned for development: triggers, math, who pays and six state examples.10 min →

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