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Amazon drops data center plan on former George Washington University campus in Ashburn
Amazon is dropping plans to build data centers on the former George Washington University campus in Ashburn, Virginia. The decision marks a major development for local residents and elected officials who fought the proposed development and hoped to avoid a lengthy legal battle.
ASHBURN, Va. - Amazon is dropping its plans to build data centers on the former George Washington University campus in Ashburn, marking a major development for residents and elected officials who had been fighting the project to avoid a lengthy legal battle.
Amazon's development chief said that in hindsight, the company probably would not have purchased the property for that purpose. Although Amazon could have pursued a long legal fight, company officials decided to pivot as policy changes surrounding data centers accelerate.
Amazon purchased the former GW Virginia campus in February for more than $400 million, planning to construct four data center buildings totaling over 800,000 square feet, along with three parking garages and the required electrical infrastructure. However, public opinion and local policies quickly shifted.
Under a new agreement announced by Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall, Amazon will donate 25 acres of the land to Loudoun County for the development of a community arts center and an indoor sports facility. The company has committed to rezoning the remaining acreage for mixed-use and residential development, and Randall confirmed Amazon will not pursue legal action to place data centers on the site.
Additionally, Amazon is providing Loudoun County with $5 million for its housing trust fund.
Amazon drops plans for data centers on former George Washington University campus in Ashburn
The announcement comes as community pushback grows over local data center growth. Speaking on The Final 5, U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, emphasized that residents must come first, noting that power lines should not be built through homes and schools to power data centers, and calling for transparency regarding their community impact.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors was prepared to vote Tuesday night on a measure to pause new data center applications in the county for up to a year. While a majority of supervisors support the move, Chair Randall delayed the vote until November 17 to give county staff additional time to review the proposed legislation's legality.
The rezoning process for the former campus property could take up to a year, and Randall stated that community input will be included throughout the development process.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.