Massive Changes Coming to Prince William County

Data Centers Face Backlash

Alright, so if you were watching all of the college graduations, there was a big controversy that a lot of you probably saw in Utah with Kevin O'Leary. He's one of the people on Shark Tank. They were building this mega data center campus in Utah, and the people were up in arms. From there, during high school graduations when AI or data centers were mentioned by commencement speakers, students were booing or getting up and walking out. Right now, the pressure on data centers is extremely huge. Coming back to Northern Virginia, the Digital Gateway data center project in Gainesville has been a huge controversy, and the heat officially got turned up this year as data centers started to pop up not just in Northern Virginia, but pretty much all across the country. Let's talk about this a little bit more. Now the Prince William Digital Gateway is officially dead and over with. (0:45)

Gateway Finally Dies

That was a project that was going to be 37 data centers right on the edge of Manassas Battlefield Park. You know, I remember when Disney was going to come here when I was just a little boy, and my grandfather was part of that project. It would have been where Dominion Valley is right now over in Haymarket. The crazy thing was the reason it got shut down was they said it was too close to Manassas Battlefield. Well, this data center actually connected to the Manassas Battlefield. Of course, everyone that lived there was for it, but it was ironic that a lot of these people weren't in the past for something that was 10 or 15 miles away. (1:40)

Folks in rural Gainesville got the word on Thursday afternoon, July 2nd, that the developer QTS had pulled out their final appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court. That was just the last shot that the project had left. QTS is one of the two data center companies behind it. This thing was once called the biggest data center development in the world—it was going to be 1,700 acres along Pageland Lane, running from the northwest edge of the battlefield to Sudley Road. It would have connected over by Cat Harpin to the other side of Gainesville, and it would have been huge. (2:14)

A quick rewind on how we got here: The board approved three rezoning applications back in December of 2023. Residents and the American Battlefield Trust sued almost right away. In 2025, a Prince William County court threw out all rezonings. The Virginia Court of Appeals backed that up in March. After that, the county and Compass, the other data center company, both dropped their appeals, leaving QTS all alone. Now QTS is out, too. (2:45)

Here's the crazy thing about it, guys: Prince William County did not run a newspaper ad when they were supposed to for the big meeting that went on for two days. They didn't run it properly, and some neighborhoods found the loophole. Lawyers filed, and the courts threw it out and said it wasn't valid, requiring them to redo the meeting. Well, guess what? All the people on the board of supervisors now are anti-data center. So this whole thing has been crazy the way it went down. This is probably one of the very first times I've seen local citizens fight back against big corporations and win. Whether you're for them or against them, it's definitely a different story. (3:08)

What does this mean? It's going to stay quiet out there; that's still part of the rural crescent. I don't see these new county leaders approving a bunch of these data center projects, but let me know what you guys think in the comments. (3:41)

If you are sitting on the fence about buying or selling a home out here in Northern Virginia, this is exactly the kind of thing that moves the market. My team and I would love to help you: info@colganteam.com. You can also text me; we'll put my information on the screen. If you're thinking about selling, I can come out, tell you what your house is worth, show you all our marketing, and help get it sold for top dollar at no cost for us to come out. (3:59)

Dulles Cloud South Falls

Right after this big Digital Gateway news broke, the board went at it again. On Tuesday, July 7th, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors voted 8 to 0 to shut down the plan for nearly 2,000 acres near Cat Harpin, Virginia. An 8-to-0 vote against data centers never really happens because of all the lobbying data center companies do. It's shocking that this happened, but it tells you how much backlash residents have given these supervisors. (4:23)

The campus, also called Dulles Cloud South, would have been about 43 million square feet of data centers in the Gainesville district along Saunders Lane, right up against Loudoun County near Aldie. The plan would have flipped around 250 pieces of farmland and forest over to industrial mixed-use across about 1,900 acres. County staff had already recommended refusal because the property sits outside the county's designated data center overlay zone. The vote came after a 5-hour public comment session where about 95 people spoke to the board and around 100 folks rallied outside. A last-minute request to defer the hearing got shot down 7 to 1. (4:47)

Supervisor Bob Weir went off, saying building this would be like placing 18 Empire State Buildings into a rural area, and calling data centers a health threat to everyone in the room. He then dropped a 600-page copy of the county's plan right on the desk. Another great line from the board was, "Prince William County is not a Formula 1 vehicle, and this board is not a pit crew." (5:39)

To be fair and show both sides, supporters pointed to the tax revenue the county lost after Gateway fell through, as well as real traffic worries on Saunders Lane that road widening could have fixed. Others requested a comprehensive traffic study first. At the end of the day, after a ton of tension, it got voted down. (6:05)

Sterling Gets Weird

Let's switch things up and lighten the mood. A Japanese department store called Teso Life is coming to Loudoun County—a sentence I never thought I'd say. It's going to be at the Sugarland Crossing Shopping Center in Sterling off Route 7, right near Lidl, Chick-fil-A, and Burlington. Teso Life is taking over a 12,500-square-foot spot that used to be Party City. The brand started in 2017 in Queens, New York, partnering with Japanese suppliers to bring in a lineup of fashion, lifestyle, health and beauty products, snacks, drinks, and kitchen goods. (6:37)

They have Teso Life stores all around the country, including existing DMV locations in Centreville and Rockville, Maryland. The Sterling store and one in Springfield are both listed as coming soon. Having Party City turn into a Japanese department store is pretty cool, and it's about time we get new retail choices. When a retailer fills these empty big-box stores, it's a good sign for the shopping center and surrounding neighborhoods. Nobody wants to buy a home next to a dying strip mall. (7:10)

Centreville Gets Rewritten

This next update is big news for anyone in Centreville. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a brand-new long-range plan for Centreville on June 23rd. This is the first major update to that plan in more than 25 years. It covers around 3,000 acres near I-66, Route 28, and Route 29 in the Sully District. The plan sets up a fresh framework for future land use, recognizing Centreville as a busy activity center. It highlights six focal areas for targeted growth, leaning heavily into mixed-use development, more housing, better transit options, clearer signage, and safer biking and walking infrastructure. (7:39)

The Centreville study kicked off in October 2022 and included a two-year community task force, multilingual surveys, and open houses. Residents specifically asked for safer sidewalks, better access to shops and services, more parks and gathering spaces, and potentially a town center. There are even rumors of a future Metro extension. A 25-year plan guides pretty much every development decision for the next couple of decades. More housing, a walkable town center, and improved design directly impact home values. The best part is the community showed up and was heard. Centreville is definitely a place to watch. (8:09)

The Sphere Twist

We finally got the details on the Sphere coming to National Harbor. As Sphere Entertainment starts its early approval process, initial plans confirm the structure will stand 302 feet tall. For context, the flagship Sphere in Las Vegas is 366 feet tall and seats around 18,000 people. This regional venue will seat about 6,000 on 14 acres next to National Harbor, with an estimated cost of $1 billion. (8:57)

Plans feature a giant exterior LED shell, a 16K interior screen, immersive surround sound, haptic seats, and 4D sensory effects. The layout includes two covered pedestrian bridges, a rideshare hub, and a $40 million parking garage, backed by $200 million in incentives from Prince George's County and $130 million in bonds. Groundbreaking is targeted for 2027 with a planned 2030 opening. (9:18)

While some were skeptical, it looks like it is officially moving forward. Prince George's County estimates it will generate $63 million annually in tax revenue and pump $1.3 billion a year into the regional economy by 2032. That's a major boost right across the river from Arlington. However, there is a twist: it is located just four miles from Reagan National Airport (DCA), meaning the FAA must review the plans to ensure it poses no hazard to flight paths. (9:42)

Conclusion

A lot of major news is happening across Northern Virginia: two massive data center developments rejected, Centreville planning for a potential Metro extension and town center, and new commercial developments on the horizon. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Be sure to subscribe to help us reach 10,000 subscribers, and reach out to the team if you're looking to buy or sell in Prince William County or Northern Virginia. (10:28)