Construction plans and a timeline for the PW Digital Gateway data center corridor remain murky despite the project’s rezonings being approved by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Dec. 13.
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Construction plans and a timeline for the PW Digital Gateway data center corridor remain murky despite the project’s rezonings being approved by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Dec. 13.
The plan for 23 million square feet of data centers on roughly 2,100 acres along Pageland Lane in western Prince William near Gainesville will be built out over the next two decades, but it’s not clear when exactly forward momentum will be made on the complex that’s expected to become the largest of its kind in the world.
Also looming over the process is the likely prospect of legal challenges from data center opponents. One advocacy group has already threatened litigation, a warning the board’s attorney and Republicans deemed probable.
Although no lawsuit has been filed, the anti-data center Coalition to Protect Prince William County alongside attorney and outgoing Democratic state Sen. Chap Peterson alleged in a letter to several officials the county broke the law by not publishing the legally mandated public hearing advertisement for the Digital Gateway in the Washington Post in a timely manner. Representatives with the group say they’re exploring litigation options.
With board approval out of the way, much of the legwork to bring the plan to reality falls back into the hands of developers QTS Realty Trust Inc. and Compass Datacenters, which are coordinating to build out different portions of the property.
First, the companies must finalize acquisition of the Pageland Lane property from myriad landowners who agreed to sell their land to the developers.
A representative with Compass declined to outline a firm timeline for construction but said the company anticipates its portion of the development to be completed in phases. The company expects the first phase to be complete within four years. It’s not clear how many total phases the project will encompass.
Compass has also committed to a number of infrastructure improvements projects, including improvements to Pageland Lane and Artemus Road, extending water and sewer lines and designing and developing enhancements to the terrain’s natural features, which include wildlife corridors and walking paths, the spokesperson said. The company will also do more archeological and architectural evaluations of the property.
“We are committed to being a good neighbor in Prince William County and continuing a dialogue with all of our stakeholders as this project moves forward,” the spokesperson said.
A representative with QTS declined to comment on its construction timeline, referring only back to a statement the company issued following approval from the board.
“QTS will continue to work diligently with County staff, elected officials, and residents as it carries out its environmental and responsible development commitments,” the statement said.
The next major step where the county will be involved is when the applicants submit site plans for the project.
“We will review site plans and verify that proffer conditions are met just like we do every other project,” county spokesperson Nikki Brown said.
The site plan process will be overseen by the Land Development Division. Once submitted, the site plans could go through several iterations before being finalized, according to the county’s Acting Deputy Director of Planning Alex Vanegas.
County supervisors approved the PW Digital Gateway after a 27-hour public hearing and meeting that spanned Dec. 12-13. The board’s Democratic majority of Chair Ann Wheeler, Woodbridge Supervisor Margaret Franklin, Neabsco Supervisor Victor Angry and Potomac Supervisor Andrea Bailey supported the proposal, while Coles Supervisor Yesli Vega, Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson and Gainesville Supervisor Bob Weir – all Republicans – opposed the project. Democrat Kenny Boddye of the Occoquan District abstained.
