Prince William residents sound off over data center
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)—The fight over a massive data center campus in Northern Virginia took center stage.
Residents are sounding off on the proposed “Digital Gateway Project”. If approved, it could be one of the largest data centers in the world.
It is expected to be built not far from the historic Manassas battlefield. Three rezoning bills could pave the way for the creation of the “Digital Gateway project.”
It says the project would be equivalent in size to all of “Data Center Alley” in Loudon County.
Those bills will be up for a vote Tuesday. But not everyone is happy about it.
Last November, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors approved a comprehensive plan that gave the green light for the Digital Gateway Project.
But neighbors in the Gainesville area raised concerns with the developers, Compass Datacenters.
A crowd even protested the development.
More data centers coming to Northern Virginia
Opponents worry about noise pollution, environmental concerns, and disruption to nearby historical sites.
“To Compass and QTS, both, if you want to put data centers in,” said opposer Roger Yackle. “That’s fine but put them in the right areas.”
Compass Datacenters says their design will avoid their issues of concern. They say their centers will bring jobs and tax revenue to the county.
“It’s time for Prince William County to get into the digital age and become a recipient and have better tax commercial tax revenues,” said supporter Mary Ann Ghadban.
It’s also important to note the current board is a lame duck period and a new board is expected in January.
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