The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will vote Tuesday on whether to initiate a comprehensive plan amendment that could allow one of the largest data center campuses in county history.
The request, filed as a Comprehensive Plan Amendment known as the Dulles South Innovation Center, was submitted by Sanders Lane Assemblage I LLC. It asks the Board to reclassify approximately 252 parcels totaling about 1,940 acres in the Gainesville Magisterial District from Agriculture and Forestry and Mixed-Use Hamlet designations to Industrial.
If initiated, the change would open the door for data centers, an electrical substation, and related uses such as training and research facilities, followed by a companion rezoning to Planned Business District.
The property is located north of Sudley Road along the Sanders Lane corridor, directly north of the Prince William Digital Gateway Special Planning Area. High-voltage transmission lines already run through the site.
The proposed project follows the recent withdrawals by QTS Data Centers and Compass Data Centers, which announced they would abandon their plans for the Prince William Digital Gateway entirely, a 27-million-square-foot data center complex next to Manassas National Battlefield Park. The back-to-back departures represent a major reversal for what was once one of the largest proposed in the world.
The Prince William Digital Gateway was approved by the Board of County Supervisors in November 2022 as a large technology corridor along Pageland Lane in the Gainesville area.
The project was designed to accommodate multiple data center campuses on land previously designated for agricultural and rural uses, leveraging existing high-voltage transmission lines.
From the outset, the proposal drew strong opposition from residents and environmental groups concerned about traffic, noise, water usage, loss of rural character, and the industrialization of the area. Multiple lawsuits and appeals have followed the Board’s decision, creating ongoing legal uncertainty around the project’s future.
Staff Recommends Denial
County planning staff reviewed the Dulles South Innovation Center and recommended that the Board not initiate the amendment. In its report, staff cited major concerns about infrastructure capacity, environmental impacts, and land-use compatibility.
A full buildout could reach up to 43 million square feet of data center space and generate roughly 4,600 new employees. Traffic volumes would rise sharply, from about 2,535 daily trips under existing conditions to more than 42,570. The site currently has no public water or sewer service, and extending those systems through rural-designated land would conflict with Comprehensive Plan policies.
Staff also highlighted significant tree loss, impacts to rural character, and incompatibility with surrounding agricultural lands and the nearby Catharpin Hamlet.
The applicant has argued that the location is appropriate because of its proximity to existing transmission infrastructure and its position as a concentrated northern extension of data center development.
Opposition Rally Planned
Opposition groups plan to rally before the meeting. The Coalition to Protect Prince William County will hold a press conference and rally at 1 p.m. Tuesday outside the James J. McCoart Administration Building at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge.
Coalition Executive Director Elena Schlossberg said the proposal would force residents to compete with corporations for power during extreme heat while exposing communities to noise and emissions from diesel generators.
Expected speakers include U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, state Sen. Danica Roem, Del. Josh Thomas, all Democrats, and residents from Prince William and Loudoun counties affected by data center-related development.
