Fake Equinix Data Center Image Circulates in St. Mary’s -
A site plan circulating online that purportedly showed an Equinix data center campus in Mechanicsville is fabricated, and St. Mary’s County officials say no such project has been proposed. The misinformation emerged amid regional debate over data center development, including Calvert County’s recently adopted six-month moratorium.
A fabricated site plan depicting two large Equinix data center buildings on Three Notch Road in Mechanicsville spread on social media. St. Mary’s County officials, including Commissioner Mike Alderson, and state lawmakers Matt Morgan and Jack Bailey said no such project exists. The Southern Maryland Chronicle found no county application, planning filing or Equinix announcement supporting the claim.
The false rendering circulated as Southern Maryland communities debate data center growth. Amazon withdrew a proposed 2.46-million-square-foot campus in neighboring Calvert County after strong opposition, and Calvert County subsequently adopted a six-month moratorium while considering a longer extension. St. Mary’s County does not list data centers as an allowed use in its current comprehensive zoning ordinance and is addressing the issue through its ongoing comprehensive planning process.