en.Wedoany.com Reported - QTS and Compass Datacenters have decided to withdraw from a large-scale data center project spanning 2,100 acres in Prince William County, Virginia, a move that may mark a turning point for data center development in Northern Virginia.

The project, launched in July 2021, originally planned to build 37 data centers adjacent to the Manassas National Battlefield Park, about 30 miles from Washington, D.C. Each data center was to cover approximately 150,000 square feet, equivalent to the size of a football field in width and three football fields in length.

In April, the Virginia Court of Appeals ruled that the county had provided insufficient public notice before the December 2023 vote on rezoning, leading to a halt in development. During a 27-hour public meeting, over 100 residents spoke. Another developer, QTS, initially appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court but withdrew the case on July 2.

"QTS deeply appreciates the relationships built with community stakeholders throughout this process and is grateful for the collaboration and dialogue that shaped our involvement in the 'Digital Gateway' project," the company stated in court documents. Texas-based Compass Datacenters and the county government withdrew their support for the project in April following the state court ruling.

Former Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen, representing the American Battlefield Trust in the lawsuit, said opponents took on large corporations and emerged victorious. The Oak Valley Homeowners Association also filed a separate lawsuit.

Compass President A.J. Byers said in a statement that recent legal actions and increasingly complex regulatory hurdles had closed viable paths forward. If completed, the project would have covered over 22 million square feet, three times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., equivalent to 144 Walmart stores, making it the largest data center campus in the world.

Developers said the project would bring thousands of jobs and $40 to $50 billion in private investment. According to Tim Leclerc, Deputy Director of Finance for Prince William County, the project was expected to generate $336 million in tax revenue for the county over the next 15 years. A county report showed that data centers brought in nearly $300 million in revenue for Prince William County in 2024.

The project had divided residents since its launch. In 2022, over 100 people agreed to sell their properties, with 57 expressing support at a planning commission hearing, citing investment potential. Land values within the project area doubled, but residents living in the planned zone faced higher property taxes during the legal challenges.

Local historical societies and environmental groups opposed the project from the start, citing data center noise and electricity consumption. The American Battlefield Trust noted that the project would obstruct views of the Manassas National Battlefield Park. Organizations such as the Sierra Club and the Piedmont Environmental Council warned that the project would require 3 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power 750,000 homes, and could pollute the Occoquan watershed.

Residents launched recall petitions against some supervisors who supported the project. Gainesville District Supervisor Pete Candland resigned because his property was within the planned area, stating that recusal prevented him from fulfilling his duties. At-large Chair Ann Wheeler survived a recall effort but lost the Democratic primary to former CNN reporter Deshundra Jefferson.

The opposition side won the legal battle on technical details. In February 2026, the Virginia Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the county Board of Supervisors had not published public advertisements in The Washington Post in a sufficiently timely manner, with insufficient public notice. County Attorney Michele Roble said Wheeler and developers proceeded with the plan despite known issues. Subsequent litigation cost the county over $1.7 million. The Oak Valley Homeowners Association stated in a release that the case was about protecting Prince William County citizens from the predatory expansion of the global data center industry.