Proposed Forward Township data center could be operational as early as 2029, if approved
The business behind a proposed data center in Forward Township began exploring whether or not their Prospect Road property could support an energy and data campus about three years ago, according to the site’s developer.
A business named 614 Prospect Road LLC submitted its preliminary land development plans for the Misty Hollow Energy and Data Campus, which would have a million-square-foot footprint, to Forward Township in August 2026.
The proposal found its way to the county’s planning commission meeting in September, and when a meeting was set for last week for Forward Township’s planning commission to further discuss the proposal too many residents showed up to fit in the municipal building. The meeting was delayed and rescheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
“This property has a unique combination of characteristics that make it attractive for an energy and data campus,” said commercial real estate developer Allen Sherwood, president of Pittsburgh-based AJ Sherwood Capital.
“It provides approximately 274 acres in one location which is large enough to develop the project in phases, and there is access to significant natural gas resources as well as proximity to existing energy infrastructure.”
Sherwood said he is working with Moon Township-based GridSwitch Asset Management to develop the project on the 232-acre parcel of land owned by 614 Prospect Road LLC.
“Western Pennsylvania also has a strong and highly skilled workforce and Butler County is well positioned within the region,” Sherwood said about the potential of the property. “When we began evaluating this property about three years ago, we recognized that this combination of factors made this a very good location for a project like Misty Hollow Energy and Data Campus.”
According to Sherwood, the developers are aiming to reach final land development approval in early 2027 and get the first phase of the data center operational as early as mid-2029.
“Based on our current schedule, we estimate approximately 18 to 24 months for construction, with mid-2029 being the earliest anticipated timeframe for the first phase to be operational,” Sherwood said. “We plan to develop the campus in phases of approximately 100 megawatts at a time, so the entire project does not need to be completed before portions of the campus can become operational.
“This allows us to build in a measured way as demand develops and the necessary infrastructure and approvals are put in place.”
Sherwood said his team is not prepared to publicly share potential end users for the proposed data center, but said they are “actively having discussions with potential end users.”
He explained that the campus is being designed to support a broad range of computing needs, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the digital infrastructure that supports industries such as banking, healthcare, communications, streaming and online commerce.
“Those discussions are ongoing, and when we reach the appropriate point and are permitted to identify an end user, we will share that information publicly,” Sherwood said.
While the project is Sherwood’s first data center development, he told the Eagle in a Wednesday email that he has more than 40 years of experience in real estate development and has also been involved in energy and infrastructure projects.
“A project of this size is not developed by one person. We have assembled an experienced team of engineers, energy professionals, environmental consultants, attorneys and other specialists with the expertise necessary to develop a project like Misty Hollow Energy and Data Campus.”
