Loudoun residents force Amazon to abandon data centers, fund 25-acre community hub

Amazon has stopped the planned construction of four data centers in Loudoun County, Virginia, and will build homes instead. The change comes after local residents pushed back against the project. The company will use most of the 122-acre property for mixed-use and residential development.

As part of the new arrangement, Amazon will hand over 25 acres of the site to the county. Those lands will hold a community arts center and a recreational facility. The company will also pay $5 million into the county's housing fund.

Loudoun County is known as Data Center Alley because it holds the world's largest group of such facilities. Residents have complained about the noise and the high electricity use of these buildings. The county's view on new projects has changed recently.

Amazon filed its original proposal in July. In September, Phyllis J. Randall, the chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, met with company leaders. She suggested they look for another use for the land.

Josh Weissman, Amazon's vice president for data center development, said the company bought the former George Washington University campus quickly. He noted that Amazon considered the county's specific worries about the site. Weissman said the two sides agreed to work on a shared plan rather than fight in court.

The shift happens while demand for data centers grows because of artificial intelligence. More facilities mean more power needs, which worries some communities. President Donald Trump recently asked data center builders to pay local communities a dividend. He also said these facilities should make their own electricity and sell extra power to locals.

Randall called the deal a result of working together. She said the agreement gives residents new places to gather and play. She added that the project will provide more affordable homes for working families.