$62 Million Separates New Albany Expansion From Data Center Gold Rush
$62 million. That’s the price tag attached to the 170-acre parcel purchased by EdgeConnex in March 2025, and it’s the key to understanding the land grab unfolding in New Albany, Ohio. While the immediate story is a developer – Lincoln Property Company – seeking to annex and rezone 106.4 acres from Jersey Township, the underlying driver is the insatiable demand for data center and manufacturing space fueled by Intel’s $28 billion semiconductor plant and the broader tech boom in the region. This isn’t simply about expanding the New Albany International Business Park; it’s about positioning for the next wave of investment, and the stakes are significantly higher than local zoning debates suggest.
The proposed rezoning, already approved by the New Albany Planning Commission and awaiting a City Council vote on May 5th, would transform 22 parcels – currently a mix of agricultural land and small residential properties – into a Limited General Employment District. This designation allows for offices, manufacturing, distribution, and research facilities, but notably excludes data centers as a primary use, limiting them to 20% of building square footage unless stringent conditions are met. This restriction, coupled with the proximity to EdgeConnex’s investment and Sidecat’s (an affiliate of Meta) $62 million land purchase in December 2025, reveals a calculated strategy. New Albany isn’t trying to become the next data center hub; it’s aiming to be the support system around one, capturing the overflow and related manufacturing needs.
Source material: dispatch.com.
Follow the money: the city has annexed roughly 6,000 acres – nearly half of Jersey Township – since 2002, with a staggering 3,000 acres added in 2022 alone, largely driven by the Intel project. This aggressive expansion isn’t organic growth; it’s a deliberate land play predicated on attracting high-value capital investment. The November 2024 economic agreement with Jersey Township, preventing annexation east of Mink Street without township approval, further underscores this strategy. Lincoln Property Company’s target land sits west of that line, a legally permissible zone for expansion. The fact that no specific tenants or plans are currently identified, as stated by attorney Aaron Underhill, isn’t a weakness – it’s a feature. It allows New Albany to market the space as a flexible solution, adaptable to the evolving needs of companies drawn to the Intel ecosystem.
The timing is critical. While the semiconductor industry faces cyclical downturns, the long-term trend towards reshoring manufacturing and increasing domestic chip production remains intact. New Albany’s positioning – directly adjacent to Intel and with established infrastructure – offers a significant advantage. The rezoning isn’t just about accommodating potential tenants; it’s about increasing the land’s value and attracting higher bids when the time is right. The parcels themselves, ranging from 1.25 to 6.87 acres, suggest a strategy of attracting smaller-scale manufacturers and suppliers who will feed into Intel’s supply chain. This contrasts with the massive land requirements of hyperscale data centers like those pursued by EdgeConnex and Sidecat.
What this means for your wallet: expect continued upward pressure on housing costs in the New Albany and Jersey Township areas. Increased demand for labor and services will drive wage growth, but also potentially displace long-term residents. More immediately, investors should watch the May 5th City Council vote. Approval is almost a certainty, but the debate will reveal the city’s long-term vision for managing growth and balancing economic development with community concerns. The key question isn’t if New Albany will continue to expand, but how it will prioritize different types of development – and whether it can maintain control over the narrative as the data center and semiconductor industries continue to reshape the landscape. Will New Albany become a satellite ecosystem, or a competitor, to the major players?
