Amazon scraps four data centers in Loudoun, gives county land and cash

Amazon will donate 25 acres of land to Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of a deal to abandon plans for four new data centers on the former George Washington University campus. The company also agreed to contribute $5 million to the county's housing fund. The former data center site will largely become mixed-use and residential development.

Amazon originally filed its proposal for the four facilities in July 2026. The project targeted the 122-acre property located just outside Washington, D.C. Local residents pushed back against the plan, citing the noise generated by cooling equipment and the massive electricity demands of the infrastructure.

Phyllis J. Randall, chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, met with company representatives in September to discuss the project. She suggested the company consider other uses for the land. Amazon vice president Josh Weissman said the company moved quickly to purchase the campus when it became available. He acknowledged the county had pointed concerns about building data centers at that specific location.

Weissman stated that the company saw the legal development potential of the property differently than the county did. However, he concluded that a shared vision was the best outcome to avoid costly litigation. The agreement reflects a shift in the county's stance toward new construction in a region already known as a major hub for digital infrastructure.

Loudoun County hosts the largest concentration of data centers in the world. The surge in demand for artificial intelligence has increased the size and number of these facilities. This growth has led to community opposition over higher electricity prices, water shortages, and deforestation in areas where the projects are built.

The national political climate is also affecting these discussions. President Donald Trump recently called on data center builders to pay local communities a dividend. He also proposed requiring these facilities to generate their own electricity and sell surplus power back to the grid.

Randall described the final agreement as a result of cooperation rather than conflict. She said the deal creates new spaces for residents to gather and play. She added that the most important benefit is the provision of more attainable homes for working families.