Officials in Prince William County, Virginia, have decided not to continue trying to push through a large-scale data center campus after the project’s latest legal hurdle.

The county board of supervisors this week voted unanimously this week not to appeal its defense of the invalidated zoning for the Prince William Digital Gateway project.

The vote means the county will no longer attempt to appeal against the recent judge’s decision to invalidate the zoning due to a lack of proper public notifications.

“Today, the board listened to what their constituents, numerous judges, and we have said for years: the rezonings for the Prince William Digital Gateway mega-development were not only detrimental for Prince William County, but illegal,” said David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield Trust. “We are incredibly grateful the board arrived at this conclusion, and hope this signals the end for this nightmarish threat to the hallowed ground of Manassas.”

“Never before have such a small group of people made such a difference to their community and to their state than Prince William County residents,” added the Coalition to Protect Prince William County. “The Coalition to Protect Prince William County is forever grateful to the residents and to this board for stepping through the door that we worked so hard to open.”

QTS and Compass had filed to develop thousands of acres of greenfield land in Manassas for a massive data center development. The companies were originally given the green light for the 2,100-acre, multi-gigawatt development in December 2023 after a marathon 27-hour public meeting.

However, legal challenges were filed arguing that the project’s zoning was invalid because proper public notice was not given through the correct channels. A judge agreed in an August 2025 decision, revoking the zoning authorization. That decision was upheld by an appeals court earlier this month.

At the time, county officials hinted it might challenge the decision, but it has now decided against further appeal. The county had spent more than $1.7 million in legal fees on defending the gateway project. County supervisors noted, however, that it would respond to any court requests if required to do so at any future appeal.

It’s unclear if QTS and/or Compass will attempt further appeals without the support of the county or look to restart the zoning process from scratch.

DCD has reached out to Compass and QTS for comment.

“From the very beginning, this project only benefited a handful of out-of-state developers and special interests, at the expense of local residents and the historic battlefield,” added American Battlefield Trust’s Duncan. “Should the developers choose to continue this fight without the County’s support, they will be met with the grit and determination we and our partners have shown throughout this years-long legal battle.”

In total, QTS was aiming to develop around 11.3 million gross square feet (1.05 million sqm) of data center space, while Compass hoped to develop up to 11.55 million sq ft (1.07 million sqm) of data center space. The project, one of the first proposed gigawatt-scale campuses, would have totaled some 37 buildings at full build-out.

DCD visited the site back in 2022 ahead of the final vote and has spoken to both proponents and the opposing coalition about the large-scale project.

The project had been mired in controversy throughout its planning; residents who weren’t willing to sell decried the potential impact on the rural area, its proximity to a Civil War-era battlefield, and the potential environmental impacts of such a large development. Multiple lawsuits had been filed against the project, and the coalition hosted an unanswered protest outside QTS’ existing Manassas data center.