Data centers in Kershaw County, South Carolina: 1 project mapped

Imagery: Esri, Maxar

A data center proposal near Camden, in rural northeastern Kershaw County, lasted about a month. In September 2025, Charlotte-based Terra Nexus Ventures, founded by Hemal Badiani and Brandon Maxwell, asked the county to rezone about 162 acres at 771 Park Road, across from the county landfill and about 30 miles northeast of Columbia. It wanted the land moved from a rural residential district to general development, the county's broadest classification. Its partners described "a couple of warehouse-type buildings that look nice, almost look like office buildings," with up to 15 permanent jobs, power from Black River Electric Cooperative or Santee Cooper, and a large tax bill. Planning commission chairman Ned Towell said that "even if it doesn't employ that many people, it's going to have a huge tax bill"; his commission recommended the rezoning unanimously on Sept. 8.

At the county council's crowded Sept. 23 meeting, 11 speakers, most from the area, asked council to say no. Zakiya Mickle, environmental justice chair of the South Carolina NAACP, warned of diesel generator emissions, strain on water and the grid, and a site about 10 minutes from Jackson Elementary School. "Trust is not a substitute for due diligence," she said. Councilman Derek Shoemake worried about the zoning itself: "if anything falls through, then now you have 100 acres that can be used for anything." Councilman Brant Tomlinson, whose district includes the site, said he had told the developers privately that he opposed it over water use.

Before council could vote, Terra Nexus's attorney requested an "official withdrawal," and the company did not say why. "The community concerns are heard," Tomlinson said. Andrew Yablonski, who lives less than a mile away, called it "great news." The land stays zoned as it was, and Shoemake said a data center could still be considered "in the right zoning districts" if water and power can be managed.

Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.