Prince William Digital Gateway
Gainesville, Prince William County, VADeveloper: Compass Datacenters, QTS Data Centers
Also known as PW Digital Gateway
- Rumored
- Proposed
- Approved
- Under construction
- Operating
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The Digital Gateway was a proposed campus of about 23 million square feet on roughly 2,100 acres near Manassas National Battlefield Park, pitched in 2021 as the world's largest data center campus. Supervisors approved the rezonings in December 2023, but courts voided them in 2025 and 2026 for faulty public notice. Compass and the county dropped out in April 2026, and QTS withdrew its Virginia Supreme Court appeal on July 2, 2026, ending the project.
Key facts
Size & schedule
| Site size | 2,100 acres [7] about 1,790 acres rezoned |
|---|---|
| Floor area | 23 million sq ft [7] planned at full build-out |
| Buildings | 37 data centers [5] as pitched in 2021 |
How big is that? Data center sizes compared with football fields and Central Park.
Local decisions & site
| Deciding vote | Board of County Supervisors approved the Compass, Digital Gateway North and Digital Gateway South rezonings 4-3 following the December 12–13, 2023 public hearing [8]Source excerpt“The ruling invalidates the Compass, Digital Gateway North (DG North), and Digital Gateway South (DG South) rezonings approved by a 4-3 vote after a 27-hour marathon hearing.” |
|---|---|
| Zoning | Three rezonings: Compass 884 acres, DG North 534 acres, DG South 342 acres (about 1,760 acres of former agricultural land) [8] differs from the record's 'about 1,790 acres rezoned' (Virginia Business) Source excerpt“Compass alone spans 884 acres and 11.5 million square feet of gross floor area with height caps of 85 feet in most bays; DG North covers 534 acres and 7 million square feet (83-foot caps); DG South covers 342 acres and 3.7 million square feet (60-foot caps).” |
| Nearest homes or schools | A plaintiff's home was 130 feet from the Compass site [8] as described in the Court of Appeals opinion, per Potomac Local Source excerpt“One plaintiff, living 130 feet from the Compass site, described the current "peace and tranquility" of the property” |
Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.
Water and power
Water
Not disclosed. No source reviewed gives a water figure for this site. The Census does not estimate one.
Power
Not disclosed. No capacity or power-supply figure is on the record.
Disclosed figures only, each as the cited source states it. Many are projections or permit limits, not metered use. How data center water and power use is measured, and every disclosed figure →
Community concerns
Concerns are listed as the cited public sources report them (meeting minutes, dockets, filed cases, official statements and news). They are raised, not validated, and a response is shown beside a concern only where a source reports one. All community concerns →
Noise
- The Oak Valley HOA cited health impacts of constant noise, pollution and reduced property values for nearby residents.
Raised by: organization (Oak Valley Homeowners Association) · May 1, 2026 · Source: InsideNoVa
Land use and zoning
- Plaintiffs challenged the December 2023 rezonings as having failed state and county public-notice requirements; the Court of Appeals declared the rezonings void.
Raised by: lawsuit (Oak Valley Homeowners Association) · Apr 1, 2026 · Source: Virginia BusinessResponse from QTS: QTS described the notice issues as technical and pointed to the investment and jobs at stake. May 1, 2026 · Source: InsideNoVa
Something missing or wrong? Ask for a review. Posts on social media are never used as sources.
Timeline
Rezoning process begins [5]
Board of County Supervisors adopts the comprehensive plan amendment for the Digital Gateway area [6]
Board of County Supervisors approves rezonings after marathon public hearing [7]
Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Irving voids rezonings over improper public notice [1]
Virginia Court of Appeals affirms voiding of rezonings [7]
Compass Datacenters drops its appeal [2]
Board of County Supervisors unanimously votes not to appeal [7]
QTS files appeal petitions with the Supreme Court of Virginia [7]
QTS withdraws petitions and ends the project [6]
Issues raised
- Proximity to Manassas National Battlefield Park [1]
- Courts found the county failed to meet required public-notice rules for the December 2023 hearing [1]
- County spent $1.72 million on legal fees, per Technical.ly [5]
- Oak Valley HOA residents cited noise and property-value concerns [4]
Issues are concerns and claims raised by the parties, officials or residents named in the cited sources. They are reported as attributed, not as findings by the Census.
Sources
- Virginia Appeals Court upholds block on Prince William Digital Gateway projectVirginia Business · Apr 1, 2026 · news
- Developers drop appeal of zoning decision on Digital Gateway projectWTOP News · Apr 2026 · news
- Prince William Supervisors Unanimously Drop Digital Gateway Appeal, Opening Door for RezoningPotomac Local · Apr 15, 2026 · news
- 'Surprised by the arrogance:' Digital Gateway developer QTS files appeal to save Prince William data center projectInsideNoVa · May 1, 2026 · news
- Data center fight offers crucial lessons as it heads to Virginia Supreme CourtTechnical.ly · Jun 2, 2026 · news
- QTS Withdraws Supreme Court Appeal, Ending Proposed Digital Gateway Data Center ProjectPotomac Local · Jul 3, 2026 · news
- Prince William Digital Gateway data center project officially diesVirginia Business · Jul 6, 2026 · news
- Digital Gateway Projects Halted: Court Rules Oak Valley Rezonings Invalid in Major Resident VictoryPotomac Local · Mar 31, 2026 · news
Cite this page
Last updated Sep 23, 2026. Figures may change as records are updated — include the date you retrieved them.
| APA | Data Center Census. (2026). Prince William Digital Gateway. Retrieved from https://datacentercensus.com/dc/digital-gateway-prince-william-county-va |
|---|---|
| MLA | “Prince William Digital Gateway.” Data Center Census, Sep 23, 2026, https://datacentercensus.com/dc/digital-gateway-prince-william-county-va. |
| Link | https://datacentercensus.com/dc/digital-gateway-prince-william-county-va |
Republishing a figure or table? Attribute it to Data Center Census with a link to this page. The underlying data is downloadable as JSON and CSV; the press kit has standing figures and contact details.