Southern Ohio Data Center Corridor

A verified investor brief on the corridor taking shape across Pike, Scioto, and Jackson counties.

Investor Brief

What Is the Southern Ohio Data Center Corridor?

On March 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a public-private partnership to redevelop the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant near Piketon, Ohio as the PORTS Technology Campus, a 10-gigawatt data center campus backed by SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy and utility partner AEP Ohio.

At the same time, Google’s separate Franklin Furnace project confirmed that southern Ohio is attracting more than one hyperscale data center thesis. Jackson County updated its zoning code in March 2026 specifically for data center uses, a direct signal that corridor demand is already shaping land policy.

Key Facts at a Glance

Why Investors Care

Loudoun County proved what happens when data center infrastructure arrives before the supporting ecosystem exists. Southern Ohio is not Loudoun, and it is much earlier. That is the point. Housing, hospitality, commercial frontage, and support services are underbuilt relative to a corridor that could move on a much faster timeline.

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The Southern Ohio Data Center Corridor

Verified facts from DOE, AEP Ohio, and public filings. This is the core investment case, not a speculative story.

SoftBank / SB Energy

DOE-backed groundbreaking on March 20, 2026 at the former Portsmouth site in Piketon. SB Energy is leasing 3,700 federal acres for a 10 GW data center campus. Phase 1 targets 800 MW.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

$33.3 Billion in Generation

Japanese funding was tied to 9.2 GW of new natural-gas generation distributed across southern Ohio as part of the larger U.S.-Japan strategic investment framework.

Source: Ohio Statehouse News Bureau

$4.2 Billion Transmission

SB Energy committed to fund $4.2 billion in high-voltage transmission infrastructure through AEP Ohio. The utility also reported 5,642 MW of binding data center load contracts already signed.

Source: AEP and AEP Ohio February 2026 filing

Google $1B Data Center

Google, through Tilted Gate LLC, is building a separate $1 billion, 500,000-square-foot data center in Franklin Furnace, Scioto County. That matters because it confirms corridor demand is not limited to a single sponsor.

Source: Scioto County environmental filings, January 2026.

$40 Million Community Investment

SoftBank pledged $40 million for schools and medical infrastructure. SB Energy also committed to fund its own power generation and transmission infrastructure rather than push those costs onto Ohio residential ratepayers.

Source: DOE announcement, March 20, 2026.

Critical Housing Shortage

Jackson County issued only 33 building permits in all of 2024. Within thirty miles of Piketon there are roughly 200 to 300 hotel rooms. That is not enough inventory for large-scale construction labor, permanent staff, and support services.

Why This Is Different

Previous PORTS proposals were largely political. This one includes a DOE land lease, a named utility partner with binding contracts, a bilateral sovereign trade framework, a public groundbreaking, and a named developer entity.

Local Market Context

A comparable 64-acre property with lake access less than one mile away is currently listed at $2,150,000 ($33,594/acre). Five Points Pasture offers 71.5 acres, more land, highway frontage, and gigabit fiber, at $1,050,000 ($14,685/acre). The corridor thesis is additional upside on top of an already underpriced asset.

Why This Property

Five Points Pasture is not generic acreage. It is visible, connected, and flexible enough to benefit from several corridor outcomes.

High-Visibility Highway Frontage

Roughly 0.4 miles on State Route 32 and 0.2 miles on County Road 20 create real commercial-grade frontage for services, logistics, retail, or hospitality.

Spectrum Gigabit Fiber

Fiber is already built out to the site, which is a critical advantage for tech-adjacent uses, remote work, and operational connectivity.

Elevated Water Table Position

The property sits at roughly 803 feet elevation, materially above both the PORTS campus and Piketon. Surface drainage moves south and southwest through Buckeye Creek, away from the DOE remediation area.

Source: DOE PORTS remediation overview

Proximity Without Exposure

The site is close enough to Jackson, PORTS, and Scioto County to benefit from corridor investment, while still functioning as a scenic residential or mixed-use setting.

Development-Ready Acreage

Across five parcels, the site combines approximately 51 acres of open rolling pasture with about 20 acres of mature woods, pond, and creek frontage.

Multiple Development Paths

Workforce housing, executive homesites, RV lodging, hospitality, service retail, construction staging, or a patient corridor hold all remain credible paths.

What Happens When Data Centers Arrive

The Loudoun County precedent offers the most useful analog for how support land reprices once infrastructure becomes undeniable.

78.7%

Data center property value increase in 2025.

$6M+

Entitled corridor acre pricing (Loudoun County, 2025).

23%

Share of Loudoun County tax base tied to data centers.

$170B

Approximate Loudoun County tax base in 2025.

Loudoun County grew to 10 GW over roughly 25 years. Piketon is targeting the same scale on one campus with major transmission already being planned. Housing, services, hospitality, and frontage do not yet exist at the level that buildout implies. Source: Data Center Dynamics

Southern Ohio, More Than You Expect

The region already offers the scenery, recreation, and low-basis lifestyle that long-term staff and relocating families often want.

Outdoor Recreation

Hocking Hills, the Baileys Trail System, Wayne National Forest, Lake Katharine, Lake Alma, Hammertown Lake, and Serpent Mound all help explain why the region is already a draw.

Major Attractions Nearby

Cincinnati Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Kings Island, and Cedar Point remain practical day-trip destinations, which matters for both families and hospitality operators.

Cost of Living & Safety

Southern Ohio remains inexpensive relative to national markets and still offers the day-to-day livability required for workers, families, and long-term operators.

Higher Education

Ohio University and the University of Rio Grande provide nearby student populations, graduates, and institutional anchors that support regional growth.

Regional Investment

Appalachian Regional Commission funding and the Ohio Foothills tourism push both reinforce that this region is already being repositioned before the corridor is fully built.

日本の投資家の方へ

Japan remains the top source of foreign direct investment into the United States. We welcome inquiries in English or Japanese. Source: JETRO

Market Context

How Five Points Pasture compares to nearby properties and regional benchmarks.

Nearby Comp

$33,594

per acre

64-acre lakefront property with lodge, less than 1 mile away. Listed at $2,150,000. Lifestyle positioning only. No corridor thesis.

Five Points Pasture

$14,685

per acre

71.5 acres with highway frontage, gigabit fiber, and direct SR-32 corridor access. 56% less per acre than the nearest large comp, with more total acreage and development potential.

County Average

$5,000-$8,500

per acre

Generic Jackson County hunting/recreational land without highway frontage, fiber, or corridor positioning. Landlocked parcels on dead-end roads.

Available Now: Five Points Pasture

71.5 acres at SR-32 and CR-20 with frontage, fiber, mixed terrain, and multiple development paths in the corridor’s path.

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