2,100-acre data-centre project near a Civil War site abandoned after years of opposition

Henry Hill at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Prince William County Virginia A major data-centre campus planned beside a historic Civil War battlefield in Virginia has been abandoned after years of community opposition and legal challenges. The Prince William Digital Gateway, proposed along Pageland Lane in Prince William County, would have brought up to 37 data-centre buildings to approximately 2,100 acres near Manassas National Battlefield Park. Residents, landowners and preservation groups challenged the project’s approvals, arguing that the development threatened the area’s historic character and raised broader concerns about large-scale infrastructure. In March 2026, the Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a ruling invalidating the project’s three rezonings over defective public notices. QTS Data Centers later withdrew its appeal, ending the proposal in July 2026.A 2,100-acre data-centre planned near Civil War historyThe Digital Gateway was designed as a large-scale technology campus in rural western Prince William County. QTS Data Centers and Compass Datacenters planned to develop the site, with the proposed facilities expected to total more than 22 million square feet at ...