Prince William Digital Gateway Project Dead After Developer Drops Appeal
It is quite a month for history! Just days before America’s 250th birthday, we emerged triumphant in our five-year crusade to prevent a massive data center campus from being built alongside Manassas National Battlefield Park!
Two months after filing an appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia, developer QTS announced they are ending their defense of the illegal rezoning, following several losses in the courtroom and decisions from both the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and fellow developer Compass to drop out of the lawsuit.
The Trust, the Oak Valley Homeowners Association and local residents filed lawsuits against Prince William County and the two developers, challenging the hasty and improper Board of Supervisors vote that would have made the Prince William Digital Gateway (PWDG) the largest data center complex in the world. On March 31, the Virginia Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in support of a lower court decision voiding the PWDG rezonings, setting up the potential for a Supreme Court case, which, with the support of stalwart members like you, we were prepared to fight.
Thankfully, we can now instead work with Prince William County, the preservation community, local residents and landowners to find a conservation-friendly solution that will protect Manassas National Battlefield Park and other natural and cultural resources along the historic Pageland Lane corridor.
A lot has changed since December 2023, when the 4–3 rezoning vote (with one abstention) was pushed through by a lame-duck Board amid public outcry and against the recommendations from the County’s professional planning staff. Since then, voters have elected supervisors who have expressed concerns about the impropriety of the process and the effect of the project on the County, as well as reluctance to continue spending taxpayer dollars in its defense — a bill that ran north of $1.8 million.
Communities that once embraced the idea of data centers have reversed course. A recent poll conducted by The Washington Post and George Mason University found that only 33 percent of Virginians would support a data center being built in their community, down from 69 percent.
Today, we celebrate our insistence on thorough and proper consideration of projects with the potential to do irreparable harm to historic battlefields and other cultural resources. Thank you for helping us achieve this important victory!
But, like the great generals who commanded forces on these battlefields, we know that a single victory does not win the war. We must press our advantage, fighting with renewed vigor at the Wilderness, where we are involved in litigation to block another such mega development at the gateway to this irreplaceable battlefield park and historic treasure.
‘Til the battle is won,
David N. Duncan
President
American Battlefield Trust
P.S. With YOUR support, we will remain vigilant and ensure that future proposals that might threaten hallowed ground are held to the same strict standard of scrutiny. Please continue to support the Trust’s advocacy efforts, so that we can be ready for the next danger to come our way.