“We have got a lot of (prospects) we would want to go chase,” he said. The target would be companies that would employ at least 1,000 people.

McAuliffe said a site that size could attract $1 billion in investments and employers that could create 5,000 jobs.

The property would be called the “Matoaca Megasite” for marketing purposes, Hart said. “From a marketing standpoint, Matoaca is a unique name,” he said.

The land was rezoned for residential use in 2007 as part of a planned mixed-use development called Branner Station. However, that project, planned by developer HHHunt, was canceled in 2008 because of the economic recession and housing market downturn.

The Branner Station project also had faced resistance from some county residents concerned about its impact on schools and roads.

The EDA said its preliminary calculations suggest the proposed industrial use would generate less traffic than if the site were developed for residential.

Hart said the EDA has already submitted a conditional rezoning application for the land, which likely will be taken up by the county Planning Commission in October. He said the county is planning to hold community meetings in September and October to get residents’ input.

“While the Board (of Supervisors) and Planning Commission will conduct a thorough review of the rezoning application with input from residents, I am confident we can make this happen in a way that protects the character of the communities near the site,” Chesterfield Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dorothy Jaeckle said in a news release from the county. “Certainly this will have less impact than the 5,000 residential units allowed under the current zoning.”