Prince William County Digital Gateway
Prince William County, Prince William County, Virginia
CRITICAL RISK
Trajectory: Board voted March 3, 2026 to initiate a zoning text amendment concerning data center uses permitted by right and by special use permit. Board denied Bristow Campus data center application. Planning Commission denied Bristow substation tied to data center growth.
Last updated 2026-03-29
A circuit court judge declared the rezonings void ab initio. The Court of Appeals barred construction. The Board of Supervisors initiated a zoning text amendment concerning data center uses permitted by right and by special use permit. And at least 25 planned data centers were canceled across Virginia in a single year. The Prince William Digital Gateway is the most legally contested data center project in America — 27 hours of hearings, a 4-3-1 vote, and three years later, not a single building has gone up.
Rezonings declared void ab initio by Judge Irving in August 2025. The Court of Appeals stayed the judgment but barred all construction pending appeal.
On March 3, 2026, the Board unanimously initiated a zoning text amendment concerning by-right and special-use data center rules, with Chair Jefferson abstaining. Separate Hornbaker rezoning and special-use approvals passed 4-3.
Three organized opposition groups with national reach: Oak Valley HOA (filed the lawsuit), American Battlefield Trust ("Stop the Digital Gateway"), and the Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition.
Virginia considered 60+ data center bills in the 2026 session, including HB 1515 proposing a statewide moratorium. The $1.9B data center tax break is under legislative attack.
Timeline exceeding 3 years with zero construction permitted. Oral arguments at the Court of Appeals were heard February 24, 2026.
Inside this score
How the 100 points break down.
Each dimension is scored out of its own weight, and the four add up to the score. A higher score is a clearer market-level path; it is not a likelihood of approval for a parcel.
- Regulatory Riskweight 303 / 30
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures zoning classification, approval pathway type (by-right, CUP, rezoning), moratorium status, and regulatory trajectory. Higher scores indicate clearer regulatory paths.
Reads the written route and the stated direction of a market's rules as of the edition date. It does not read a particular parcel's zoning, and a rule recorded here can change at the next meeting of the body.
- Infrastructure Readinessweight 255 / 25
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures utility capacity, grid interconnection availability, water supply adequacy, and infrastructure investment commitments. Higher scores indicate better infrastructure readiness.
Reads the utility, grid, water and investment record for the market. It does not confirm capacity at a given site, and delivery timelines for power and water are separate from entitlement risk.
- Opposition Densityweight 250 / 25
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures organized opposition groups, petition scale, public hearing attendance, political consequences (elections, recalls), and legal challenges. Higher scores indicate less opposition.
Reads organised opposition that shows on the public record: groups, petitions, hearings, elections and legal challenges. A quiet record is not evidence of support, and a loud one is not a count of votes.
- Approval Timelineweight 204 / 20
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures historical approval durations, number of sequential approval steps, legal challenges affecting timeline, and demonstrated fast-track capabilities. Higher scores indicate faster approvals.
Reads how long recorded approvals have taken and how many sequential steps they needed. Past duration is a record of what happened, not a schedule for the next application.
3 + 5 + 0 + 4 = 12 of 100 · Critical Risk
Dimension Breakdown
Four dimensions that determine entitlement feasibility.
Regulatory Risk
30 pts
Rezonings declared void ab initio by Judge Irving in August 2025. Court of Appeals stayed the judgment but barred construction. Virginia General Assembly considered 60+ data center bills in 2026 session including HB 1515 proposing a statewide moratorium.
Score: 3/30. Rezonings voided by court. Board initiated review of by-right and special-use data center rules. Virginia's General Assembly considering 60+ DC bills. The regulatory pathway does not currently exist.
Infrastructure Readiness
25 pts
Northern Virginia has Dominion Energy infrastructure, but the Digital Gateway site faces specific challenges. Planning Commission denied Bristow substation in March 2026. Virginia statewide data center tax exemption under legislative threat ($1.9B in FY2025).
Score: 5/25. Dominion Energy territory, but the specific site faces challenges — Planning Commission denied the Bristow substation in March 2026. The $1.9B statewide DC tax exemption is under legislative threat.
Opposition Density
25 pts
One of the most heavily opposed DC projects documented. Three organized groups: Oak Valley HOA (filed the lawsuit producing void-ab-initio ruling), American Battlefield Trust (national campaign "Stop the Prince William Digital Gateway"), Coalition to Protect Prince William County (co-founded Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition).
Score: 0/25. Three groups with national campaign infrastructure. Oak Valley HOA's lawsuit produced the void-ab-initio ruling. American Battlefield Trust ran "Stop the Digital Gateway." The Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition was co-founded here.
Approval Timeline
20 pts
Rezonings filed, heard over 27+ hour meeting, approved 4-3-1 in December 2023, voided by circuit court August 2025, appealed — timeline exceeding 3 years with no construction permitted. Oral arguments at Court of Appeals February 24, 2026.
Score: 4/20. Three years and counting. Rezoning filed, heard over 27 hours, approved 4-3-1, voided, appealed, and still no construction. The appeals court decision could add another year.
Key Findings
What the record shows.
Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Irving declared the three Digital Gateway rezoning ordinances void ab initio in August 2025.
WTOP News: Judge voids Digital Gateway rezoning in Prince William CountyCourt of Appeals issued November 17, 2025 order staying enforcement but prohibiting construction pending appeal.
WTOP News: Digital Gateway data center builders barred from beginning constructionBoard of County Supervisors voted unanimously, with Chair Jefferson abstaining, on March 3, 2026 to initiate a zoning text amendment concerning data center uses permitted by right and by special use permit (Resolution 26-125). The separate Hornbaker rezoning and special use permit passed 4-3.
Prince William County Board Brief, March 3, 2026At least 25 planned data centers were canceled across Virginia in 2025, nearly four times as many as any previous year.
VPM: Report highlights community pushback against $64B in US data centersRecorded Acts
Dated acts on the public record.
Prince William Board of County Supervisors
Voted unanimously, with Chair Jefferson abstaining, to initiate a zoning text amendment concerning data center uses permitted by right and by special use permit.
Opposition Profile
Who is organizing.
Oak Valley HOA — 11 residents filed the lawsuit producing the void-ab-initio ruling
American Battlefield Trust — national campaign "Stop the Prince William Digital Gateway"
Coalition to Protect Prince William County — co-founded Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition
25+ planned data centers canceled across Virginia in 2025
Timeline
How it unfolded.
December 13, 2023
Board of Supervisors approved Digital Gateway rezonings 4-3-1 after 27+ hour meeting.
August 1, 2025
Circuit Court Judge Irving declared rezonings void ab initio.
November 17, 2025
Court of Appeals stayed judgment but barred construction pending appeal.
February 24, 2026
Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Oak Valley HOA v. Prince William County.
March 3, 2026
Board voted unanimously, with Chair Jefferson abstaining, to initiate a zoning text amendment concerning data center uses permitted by right and by special use permit; separate Hornbaker rezoning and special use permit passed 4-3.
Dates on the record
Dates on the record.
As of the 29 Mar 2026 edition
No date after the 29 Mar 2026 edition is on the record for Prince William County.
Only dates that this market's own timeline gives. No outcome is named. The dated acts that have already happened are in the timeline above.
Known Risks
What could change.
Active risk factors documented in public record.
Rezonings declared void ab initio — no construction permitted pending appeal
Board initiated review of data center uses permitted by right and by special use permit
Three organized opposition groups with national reach
Timeline exceeding 3 years with no construction permitted
Recommendation
CRITICAL RISK — Score 12/100
Critical Risk. Rezonings voided by court, construction barred, Board reviewing by-right and special-use rules. Do not commit budget until appeals court rules and zoning text amendment process concludes.
Sources
Claims cited.
Prince William County Board Brief, March 3, 2026
secondaryWTOP News: Judge voids Digital Gateway rezoning in Prince William County
secondaryWTOP News: Digital Gateway data center builders barred from beginning construction
secondaryPotomac Local: Prince William Supervisors Move to End By-Right Data Centers
secondaryFOX 5 DC: Oak Valley HOA lawsuit could halt massive Prince William data center plan
secondaryVPM: Report highlights community pushback against $64B in US data centers
From the record
What the public record holds for Prince William County.
Each case file below is a verified public record with its sources attached; each note is a dated research note. They sit beside this market's score; they do not change it.
Case files in Prince William County
- Digital Gateway rezonings voided on notice groundsData centers · Prince William County, Virginia
- Devlin rezoning approved after a failed remand motionData centers · Prince William County, Virginia
Case files elsewhere in Virginia
- Fourth Circuit held Culpeper tower application deemed approvedSpecial uses · Culpeper County, Virginia
- Tech Park at Dulles substation exception deniedData centers · Loudoun County, Virginia
- Prince George upheld a non-accord determination for Bakers Pond solarEnergy · Prince George, Virginia
Notes about Virginia
- By-right is not forever: Loudoun, Fayetteville, and the repricing of permitted useJurisdiction Data · 16 Jun 2026
- Virginia sends the bill: what the 2026 data-center tax fights mean for site selectionJurisdiction Data · 15 May 2026
- Buc-ee's runs the same play in two states; the records divergeJurisdiction Data · 3 May 2026
- The cost of capital is an entitlement riskJurisdiction Data · 3 Apr 2026
Sector page: Data centers
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