Amazon Drops Data Center Plan at GW Campus in Ashburn, VA
Amazon abandoned plans for an approximately 800,000-square-foot data center complex at the former George Washington University campus in Ashburn. The company reached an agreement with Loudoun County to pursue mixed-use redevelopment, while donating land and funding for county housing and cultural uses. The decision follows resident opposition and broader county debate over data center growth and a possible temporary pause on certain applications.
Amazon has withdrawn its proposal for four data center buildings totaling about 800,000 square feet at the former George Washington University Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn. Instead, the company will work with Loudoun County to rezone the 122-acre property for mixed-use development that could include housing, an indoor sports arena and a community arts center, while transferring 25 acres to the county for cultural and entertainment uses.
The proposal faced opposition from nearby residents and concerns from county supervisors about the scale of the development and its effects on neighborhoods. Board Chair Phyllis Randall welcomed the agreement, which includes $5 million for the county housing trust fund and scholarship support, while supervisors directed the county administrator to remove data-center zoning and pursue residential uses.
The reversal comes as Loudoun County reviews its data center policies and considers a temporary pause of up to 12 months on certain data center and electrical-substation applications requiring special approval. The county also adopted rules in March 2025 requiring special-exception approval for new data center uses in specified industrial districts.