PointOne / CyrusOne data center on Lower Moncure Road
PointOne wants to build a 90-megawatt data center run by CyrusOne on Lower Moncure Road. The first phase is a 300,000-square-foot building on 56 acres of a 430-acre site, valued at $900 million. Residents say the land was rezoned as a 'light industrial business park' without saying it was for a data center.
Where things stand: Permit application filed in 2026 on land zoned light industrial. Commissioners rejected attempts to pause it in August 2026.
🕒 Latest update (Aug 18, 2026): Commissioners rejected two attempts to pause the project, including a 90-day moratorium motion.
What we know
- 📍 Where4079 Lower Moncure Road, northern Lee County (Sanford mailing address), Lee County, Lee County
- 🏢 CompanyPointOne Data Centers (with Helix Ventures)
- 👤 Built forCyrusOne (operator)
- 🌳 Size430 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs90 megawatts (about as much as 72,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromCentral Electric Membership Corporation substation. Local reporting also mentions links to a planned natural gas pipeline.
- ❄️ CoolingClosed-loop cooling; about 250,000 gallons trucked in once and reused, per CyrusOne
- 💵 Cost$900 million
- 👷 Jobs promised40
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- When will county staff decide on the permit application? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will the data center use the planned gas pipeline for power? 🙋 I'll find out
- How loud will the site be at night for nearby homes? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- March 17, 2026Residents asked Lee County for a data center pause after learning a developer was looking at a site near Sanford.
- June 2026PointOne filed a permit application for a 300,000-square-foot data center on 56 acres, the first phase of a 430-acre site.
- July 13, 2026About 150 residents spoke against the plan at a commissioners meeting.
- Aug 18, 2026Commissioners rejected two attempts to pause the project, including a 90-day moratorium motion.
Local votes and rules
📌 Other
A Lee County commissioner proposed a 90-day pause on new data centers, but withdrew it without a vote after the county attorney said state notice and hearing rules were not followed. The chair instead offered a resolution asking the state to pass data center laws.
📜 Data center rules
Lee County added data center rules to its development code, by a 5-1 vote. Developers must meet with staff first, do a noise study, and show they have water, sewer and power.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Lee County residents ask for a data center moratorium · WUNC · March 17, 2026
- Data center proposed in northern Lee County · The Rant · June 8, 2026
- Data Center Developer Seeks To Build 300K SF Facility Near Raleigh · Bisnow · June 2026
- Data center opponents speak out before commissioners · The Rant · July 14, 2026
- Commissioners reject attempts to pause data center project · The Rant · Aug 18, 2026
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