Details have emerged around Amazon’s latest planned data center campus in Northern Virginia.
Loudoun County supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) this week posted that Amazon has filed plans with Loudoun County to develop a four-building campus totaling 800,000 sq ft (74,320 sqm) at the George Washington University campus in Ashburn. The new development will be called the Bridgefield Tech Center.
Amazon acquired the university’s Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn in March, purchasing the 122-acre site for $427 million.
Amazon has submitted a site plan application seeking by-right approval of four two-story data center buildings this week.
The application – shared by Briskman online – has been submitted to Loudoun County but has not yet been officially accepted for review.
Briskman said the application “seeks to use outdated zoning policies to redevelop the property through an administrative process” that would not require review by the Loudoun County planning commission, public hearings, or approval by the board of supervisors. Data centers were recently removed as a by-right development from the county’s zoning ordinances, though some sites had data center zoning grandfathered in.
Briskman is opposed to new data center developments in Loudoun County and is spearheading attempts to introduce a moratorium on new developments in the area.
“Replacing the George Washington University campus with four massive data center buildings would be a profound loss for our community,” Briskman said in a statement. “The site offers a generational opportunity for education, research, housing, and other forms of economic development that could directly benefit Loudoun residents. I strongly oppose this proposal and will fight it every step of the way. I will use every tool available to challenge this proposal and protect Loudoun County residents from the impacts of inappropriate data center development.”
Under the sale agreement, the university will retain the property for up to five years as it works to relocate operations. Launched in 1991, the campus is currently home to the School of Nursing and 17 research labs, centers, and institutes, along with some 850 faculty and staff. The site also hosts GWU’s main data center, located in the Enterprise Hall at 44983 Knoll Square.
Amazon has a major and ever-growing presence across Virginia. Loudoun County hosted Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) first data centers when the book-selling company launched its first cloud facilities in 2006. The company’s footprint has grown to dozens of owned and leased buildings around Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William Counties, with more in development around Fauquier, Culpeper, King George, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Louisa, Orange, and Caroline Counties.
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