Amazon walks away from $427 million Virginia data center deal

# Amazon Drops $427 Million Data Center Plan in Virginia, Pledges Land and Housing Funds

Amazon has abandoned plans to build four data centers on a former George Washington University campus in Ashburn, Virginia, following discussions with local officials and community members. Instead of proceeding with the proposed $427 million development, the company has agreed to donate approximately 25 acres for community facilities and contribute $5 million toward affordable housing in Loudoun County.

The agreement, dubbed “Project Potomac Promise” by Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall, requires Amazon to withdraw its data center development application and abandon legal action seeking approval for the project. The company will also work with the county to rezone the remaining property for mixed-use development.

The decision represents a change in Amazon’s plans for the approximately 120-acre George Washington University Science and Technology Campus. The agreement opens the possibility of using the former university property for housing, community facilities and other forms of development instead of the four proposed data center buildings.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Amazon Web Services data center delivery Vice President Joshua Weissman, Randall said the county had prioritized preventing the property from being used for data centers or supporting infrastructure.

“My goal was to disallow data centers or infrastructure that could support data centers on this property. Through our collaborative, respectful conversations, Amazon has agreed to forego its proposed application for data centers, and of note, forego any legal action to realize data center development on this site,” Randall said, according to Fortune.

## Local opposition shaped the negotiations

The proposed development had faced opposition from local leaders who argued that replacing a university campus with large data center buildings would limit the site’s potential to support education, housing, research and other economic opportunities.

Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman criticized the proposal in a press release, describing the property as an important opportunity for development that could benefit residents.

“Replacing the George Washington University campus with four massive data center buildings would be a profound loss for our community,” Briskman said. “The site offers a generational opportunity for education, research, housing, and other forms of economic development that could directly benefit Loudoun residents. I strongly oppose this proposal and will fight it every step of the way.”

The agreement provides a path for the property to be considered for alternative uses while addressing some of the community’s priorities. Amazon’s commitment includes land for public facilities and funding for affordable housing, alongside plans to work with county officials on the future zoning of the remaining site.

## How Amazon acquired the former university campus

The property changed hands earlier this year after George Washington University announced in February that it had sold the campus. University President Ellen Granberg did not identify the buyer or disclose the sale price at the time, saying the transaction would support the institution’s long-term financial health.

In March, the university’s student newspaper, *The GW Hatchet*, reported that Amazon Data Services had acquired the campus for $427 million.

Amazon subsequently proposed developing four data center facilities on the property, but the plans became the subject of discussions with local officials and community members. The company’s decision to withdraw the proposal followed those negotiations rather than an announced rejection of its broader data center strategy.

“There was not a moment where it was decided that this was a bad idea,” Weissman said, according to a report by *The Times of India*. “We just heard from the community. We partnered with Loudoun, and we just decided this was just the right thing to do.”

## A different future for the property

The agreement leaves the former university campus available for a different development approach, with Amazon committing land and financial support toward community needs. The company will withdraw its application for the four data centers and drop its legal challenge, while collaborating with Loudoun County on rezoning the remaining property for mixed-use development.

The decision illustrates the role that local concerns and negotiations can play in shaping large infrastructure projects. Although Amazon continues to pursue data center development to support growing demand for computing capacity, the Virginia agreement shifts this particular property away from the proposed facilities and toward potential community-oriented uses.

The next phase will involve determining how the remaining land can be rezoned and developed, while the donated acreage and housing contribution form the central commitments of the agreement.