Google’s 3-Data-Center Plan Revealed, Plus Mystery $75K Casino Payment to Roanoke | On The Record: With the Roanoke Rambler

Big new details are emerging about Google’s planned data center campus in Botetourt County — and Roanoke’s casino push just got a lot murkier.On today’s On The Record: With the Roanoke Rambler, reporter Jeff Sturgeon joins WFIR by phone (still snowed in by Winter Storm Fern) to break down newly obtained documents showing Google’s campus is envisioned as three data center buildings totaling nearly one million square feet on a 312-acre site near Daleville. The records tie the project to major permitting steps involving wetlands, and point to a much larger footprint than many residents expected — along with the performance targets already linked to the deal: up to $3 billion in investment and 150 jobs if the first center is completed by 2030. We also discuss the ongoing legal fight over data center water-use records, as The Roanoke Rambler’s case continues to trend in its favor while the dispute plays out on appeal.Then we shift to downtown Roanoke, where The Rambler uncovered a $75,000 payment from a casino developer to the city connected to the Berglund Center “entertainment district” effort. The twist: City Hall won’t say who paid it or what it’s for, citing non-disclosure agreements — and officials insist it’s not being used for the city’s $6,000-a-month lobbying contract. With public skepticism still high and state-level support looking shaky, we dig into what the city is willing to confirm, what remains out of public view, and how this intersects with the still-unresolved question of Berglund Center naming rights.To read the full reporting, visit RoanokeRambler.com and sign up free.