US real estate firm Peterson Companies is planning a data center campus in Leesburg, Virginia.

Peterson-linked affiliate Leesburg Gateway, LLC has recently filed for a permit with the Norfolk District of the US Army Corps of Engineers for the Leesburg Gateway data center project.

Located between East Market Street and Potomac Station Drive, up to seven buildings could be developed across more than 100 acres. The development would include three two-story data centers totaling 600,000 sq ft (55,740 sqm) and four industrial buildings spanning 275,000 sq ft (25,550 sqm).

According to the application, the project would impact approximately one acre of wetlands and 2,464 linear feet of stream channels.

The site is currently zoned for residential and community retail use. Leesburg Gateway, LLC, and Battlefield 7 LC filed a request to amend the Leesburg town plan last year to allow for the campus, alongside a rezoning request. The application was deferred to January, where it was deferred again. The planning commission has recommended denial of the application.

A dedicated project website called the development a “transformational opportunity” that will bring “major benefits to the town, its businesses, and its residents,” including millions of dollars in new tax revenue every year. A 22-acre public park would be dedicated to the town.

Opposition group, the Piedmont Environmental Council, is against the project. It argues that Leesburg has “approved enough data centers and does not need any more,” and “its small-town charm and quality of life will be diminished” if more developments are authorized.

Founded in 1965, Peterson is a privately owned developer of office, retail, industrial, self-storage, and residential properties.

While not largely known for its data center developments, the company has previously partnered with Stack Infrastructure for a campus in Prince William County’s Manassas. Peterson is also planning sites across Virginia in Culpeper, Stafford, and Loudoun counties.