Former AOL Headquarters Demolished In Virginia For New Data Center

STERLING, VA — AOL's former headquarters is being demolished in Loudoun County. The site is being cleared for a new PowerHouse Data Center campus, a PowerHouse spokesperson told Patch.

AOL operated their headquarters in Loudoun County from 1996 through 2007, when it moved its base to New York City.

The demolition will be complete in early 2024, PowerHouse officials estimated. Construction crews will then start work on three new buildings and a power substation. The construction project will be completed in mid-2026, according to a news release.

PowerHouse has not said what company could occupy the new data center.

Luke Kipfer is the vice president of data center development and construction at American Real Estate Partners, which owns PowerHouse.

"It's exciting to see this underutilized site with such a historical connection to the early internet evolve to be part of the future internet," Kipfer said in a news release. "Repurposing and transforming this site to operate at its highest and best use aligns with our sustainability commitment and positively affects how we all live, work, and play."

To prepare for the demolition, construction crews pulled tons of materials from the site. Furnitures and office supplies that once belonged to a $200 billion company were donated. Ceiling tiles, floors, and walls were stripped for parts that could be recycled.

Kitchen supplies from the site's cafeteria were donated to the Dulles South Soup Kitchen, a spokesperson said.

Demolition started with the parking garages. Three office buildings, a pedestrian bridge, and a mail hub were next in line for destruction.

AOL moved its headquarters to Loudoun County in 1996 after running out of space in its initial Vienna location. After AOL moved out, the site also hosted Yahoo! and Verizon.