“With the recent vote to approve the controversial Prince William Digital Gateway, Prince William County is on track to become the data center capital of North America — if not the world. Critical to the project’s approval was Supervisor Kenny Boddye’s decision to abstain, allowing it to pass on a split 4-3-1 vote,” reports Shannon Clark at the Prince William Times.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved the contentious project after a record-breaking 28-hour meeting that began at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, and wrapped up just after 1 p.m. today, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.
The rezoning vote clears the way for two companies, QTS and Compass Datacenters, Inc., to build the nearly 100-foot tall buildings on what has been billed as the world’s most significant data center complex on nearly 900 acres next to the battlefield, a tourist magnet, the site of the first major Civil War battle in 1861.
Days before the Prince William Board of County Supervisors takes up its next controversial data center vote —on the Prince William Digital Gateway —two board members are talking about the reasons behind the board’s recent approval of the equally controversial Devlin Technology Park and what role a failed, decade-old housing development may have played in that decision.
“For those members of the public wishing to speak on any of the rezonings, signups will begin in person at 8 a.m. in the atrium of the McCoart Building. The building will open at 8 a.m. and members of the public will not be allowed to sign up before 8 a.m. Those wishing to speak remotely may sign up online and must sign up before 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.”
The Board of County Supervisors will meet at 10 a.m. to hear two rezoning cases for the long-debated Prince William Digital Gateway. It will clear the way for nearly 900 acres of data center space next to Manassas National Battlefield Park if approved. The site of the first major Civil War battle, a total of 532,727 visited the park in 2022.
Prince William Times: “The Prince William Board of Supervisors will take up its most controversial data center vote yet on Dec. 12, one that could make the county the data center capital of the world.”
“The project, known as the Prince William Digital Gateway, proposes 37 data centers spread among 1,760 acres in western Prince William on land adjacent to Manassas National Battlefield Park. Because of its location, as well as its enormous size, the project has been controversial since it was first proposed back in early 2021.”
In a marathon meeting that lasted more than 20 hours at the county government center in Woodbridge, the commission recommended denying two companies — QTS Data Centers and Compass Data Centers — the ability to build 23 million square feet of data center space in what’s become known as the Prince William Digital Gateway.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will have the final say on the project at a meeting on December 12, 2023. A majority of Democrats on the board support the measure.
“For those members of the public wishing to speak on any of the rezonings, signups will begin in person at noon in the atrium of the McCoart Building. Members of the public will not be allowed to sign up before noon. Those wishing to speak remotely may sign up online here and must sign up before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023.”
