Developer Files Plans for Data Center Near Alexandria
Starwood Capital Group has filed permit applications for the first building of its Plaza 500 data center project in Fairfax County, near Alexandria, Virginia. The firm is awaiting approval for a substation, which is generating opposition from local residents due to its proximity to homes and concerns about the development process. Residents plan to rally against the permit when it goes before the planning commission in September.
Starwood Capital Group has advanced plans for its Plaza 500 data center project in Fairfax County, Virginia, filing permit applications for the first building on July 16. The 34-acre property, acquired by Starwood in 2022 for $165 million, is located off Edsall Road near Alexandria.
A critical component, the substation for the site, is still awaiting approval and is planned for less than 100 feet from homes in the Bren Mar neighborhood. Tyler Ray, president of the Bren Pointe Homeowners Association, expressed concerns to Washington Business Journal that Starwood Capital Group is manipulating the process by filing building plans before substation approval. Bren Mar residents are organizing to rally against the Plaza 500 permit at its September planning commission hearing.
Separately, Starwood Capital is also in the process of purchasing 42 acres in Chantilly, Virginia, for $166.8 million, a site currently used by the county's police department. Earlier in the year, Alexandria homeowners association leaders unsuccessfully advocated for swapping the Chantilly land with the Plaza 500 site, suggesting the latter be used for affordable housing. The firm is also developing a large data center in Herndon.