QTS drops appeal, ending plans for massive Prince William County data center

The Brief

  • Following a March court ruling that found Prince William County’s data center rezoning fundamentally flawed, all legal approvals for the project have been voided.
  • The legal battle officially concluded on July 2 after developer Quality Technology Services (QTS) withdrew its final appeals, following earlier withdrawals by the county board and co-developer Compass.
  • The litigation, brought by local residents and preservation groups, concluded after the county spent nearly $2 million in taxpayer funds defending the rezoning.

MANASSAS PARK, VA. Data center developer Quality Technology Services (QTS) has officially dropped its appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court, effectively terminating plans for a massive 2,100-acre data center complex adjacent to Manassas National Battlefield Park, opponents announced Thursday.

The decision by the Blackstone Inc. subsidiary ends a highly contested, years-long legal battle over the Prince William Digital Gateway project, which would have been the largest data center complex in the world, according to previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting.

The move leaves the lower court’s ruling intact, blocking the project as sought by a coalition of local residents, homeowners associations and historic preservation groups who argued the development threatened the area’s historic and environmental landscape.

From board approval to July withdrawal

Timeline:

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