Virginia Beach City Council rejects future large-scale data centers
The Virginia Beach City Council has unanimously voted to reject future large-scale data center development within the city. This decision follows months of significant public opposition from residents. While new hyperscale facilities are blocked, existing colocation centers and the city's fiber optic cable infrastructure remain supported.
The Virginia Beach City Council has unanimously decided to reject all future large-scale data center developments within the city, a move that follows months of intense public opposition from residents. Mayor Bobby Dyer emphasized the council's strong stance, declaring, "We're not only saying no to data centers, we're saying hell no to data centers."
Despite this firm position against new hyperscale data centers, city officials clarified that existing colocation facilities operating in Virginia Beach are not affected, as they do not fall under the large-scale development category that sparked community concerns. The council also affirmed its continued support for the underlying infrastructure, such as the transoceanic fiber optic cables for which Virginia Beach serves as a landing point, acknowledging their value to the regional digital economy.