Tech Giant Files Application For New Data Center In Prince William County: Report

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA – Microsoft is planning a new data center in Prince William County, a new report reveals.

According to Data Center Dynamics, Microsoft has filed an application with the US Army Corps of Engineers for the MNZ07 Wellington Data Center at 13490 University Boulevard in Gainesville.

The report says the plans include two one-story data center buildings and an on-site substation on 123 acres on the east side of University Boulevard, bordering a similar-sized site owned by Amazon, which is planning its own data center complex there.

The project would impact 955 linear feet of stream channels and 1.95 acres of wetlands, according to Data Center Dynamics.

The land was purchased in 2024 from local moving magnate Chuck Kuhn for what the Washington Business Journal called a “breathtaking sum” of $465.5 million. It was noted as perhaps the most expensive data center land sale yet at the time. The plot is just south of the scrapped Digital Gateway campus, whose approval was overturned after consistent pressure from residents.

The U.S. Data Center Map tracks five Microsoft facilities either built or planned in the county, including the new Gainesville application.

The new application is within the county’s Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay, though Prince William’s Planning Commission recently recommended reducing the district to less than half its current size and including only existing approved applications.

Elena Schlossberg of the Coalition to Protect Prince William noted that the new project would fall within the county’s data center district but questioned its impact on the county grid. “The scale at which this industry is dragging our reliable and affordable energy is breaking the public utility system,” she told Patch in a statement. “So exactly how do they plan on powering their complex? Diesel generators? Gas turbines?”

She mentioned the recent fine issued by Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality to a Microsoft data center over air pollution and said, “There are clearly trust issues.”

A Microsoft spokesperson told Patch, “Microsoft is in the very early stages of permitting and planning for datacenter development on the Wellington Road property in Prince William County. Current plans are preliminary, and any future development would require formalized site plans and be subject to extensive environmental reviews, permitting processes and government approvals. We recognize the importance of earning trust through transparency and engagement, and we are committed to keeping the community informed as plans evolve. We will continue working with regulators, local leaders and community stakeholders to ensure any future development is carried out responsibly, living up to the high standards Gainesville residents have shared and expect.”

Read more from Data Center Dynamics here.