Amazon swaps Loudoun data centers for 25 acres and $5 million housing fund
The company will convert most of the former George Washington University campus into residential and mixed-use spaces after local opposition.
By Marco Graham ·
Loudoun County residents will gain 25 acres of public land and a $5 million housing fund as Amazon abandons plans to build four data centers on a 122-acre site just outside Washington, D.C. The deal replaces a proposal that drew strong local resistance with a plan for mixed-use and residential development.
The agreement includes specific community benefits. Amazon will donate 25 acres of the property to the county for a new community arts center and a recreational facility. Additionally, the company will contribute $5 million to the county’s housing fund.
Amazon filed the original proposal for the four facilities in July. In September, company representatives met with Phyllis J. Randall, chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. Randall suggested the company find another use for the land rather than proceeding with the data center build.
Josh Weissman, Amazon’s vice president for data center development, said the company acted quickly to purchase the former campus when the opportunity arose. He noted that the company considered the county’s pointed concerns about data center development at that specific location. "We concluded that the best outcome for all is to come together on a shared vision for this campus rather than engage in costly litigation," Weissman said.
Loudoun County hosts the largest concentration of data centers in the world, a fact that has driven local concerns about noise and electricity consumption. The recent surge in AI usage has increased demand for larger facilities, leading to opposition from communities worried about higher electricity prices, water shortages, and deforestation.
The political climate is shifting on the issue. Days before the Loudoun announcement, President Donald Trump called on data center builders to pay local communities a dividend amid rising energy costs. He also stated that data centers would be required to generate their own electricity and sell any surplus back to local grids.
Randall described the final outcome as a result of cooperation. "This agreement provides new places for our Loudoun residents to gather, create, and play," she said. "And, most importantly to me, we will provide more attainable homes for working families."
