Amazon has abandoned plans to build data centers at George Washington University's campus in Ashburn, Virginia, after an agreement with local officials amid widespread resident opposition. Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis J. Randall announced the agreement on Tuesday. Amazon will use most of the 122-acre property for mixed-use and residential development and commit not to build data centers there.
Amazon will give Loudoun County 25 acres for a community arts center and a recreational facility. Amazon will also contribute $5 million to the county's housing fund. Loudoun County will expedite rezoning to permit development. George Washington University may continue as a tenant at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus for up to five years.
Amazon Web Services bought the property in February for $427 million. The campus lies roughly 25 miles outside Washington, D.C. The purchase surprised county leaders, who already had concerns about the number of local data centers. Amazon proposed four data centers for the site in July. County supervisors raised concerns about additional data centers and said Amazon needed the supervisors' approval for the project. The county's statement said Randall and other Loudoun officials met with Amazon in September to negotiate an alternative use.
Randall said cooperation with Amazon would create places for residents to gather, pursue creative activities and play. Randall said the agreement would also provide more attainable housing for working families. Josh Weissman, Amazon's vice president responsible for data center development, said Amazon bought the campus after the university approached Amazon. Weissman said Amazon took the county's concerns about data centers at that location seriously. Weissman said Amazon and the county disagreed about the property's legal development potential. However, Weissman said a shared plan for the campus was preferable to expensive litigation.
University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said the agreement between Amazon Web Services and Loudoun County did not affect the university or the property transaction. McClendon said George Washington University had no role in the property's future development.
Loudoun County, an affluent exurb of Washington, D.C., has the world's largest concentration of data centers and is known as "Data Center Alley." However, support for data centers has declined in recent years as residents have raised concerns about noise and enormous electricity requirements. Loudoun Supervisor Juli E. Briskman, a Democrat whose district includes the campus, welcomed Amazon's withdrawal. Briskman said the campus was unsuitable for data centers and credited community advocacy and public pressure for the outcome.
Amazon Abandons Data Center Plans in Loudoun County, Shifts to Mixed-Use Development
FLASH AIShare
Summary
Amazon has scrapped its data center project in Loudoun County, Virginia, after community pushback and discussions with local leaders. The company will now donate 25 acres for a community arts and recreation center and give $5 million to the county’s housing fund. The 122-acre site, bought for $427 million in February, will shift to mixed-use and residential development. With a strong risk-to-reward ratio in realigning its strategy, Amazon’s move reflects a broader trend of value investing in crypto and physical assets amid regulatory and environmental scrutiny.
Source:Show original
Disclaimer: The information on this page may have been obtained from third parties and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of KuCoin. This content is provided for general informational purposes only, without any representation or warranty of any kind, nor shall it be construed as financial or investment advice. KuCoin shall not be liable for any errors or omissions, or for any outcomes resulting from the use of this information.
Investments in digital assets can be risky. Please carefully evaluate the risks of a product and your risk tolerance based on your own financial circumstances. For more information, please refer to our Terms of Use and Risk Disclosure.