American Battlefield Trust Urges Virginia Supreme Court to Reject Manassas Data Center Developer Appeal

(Manassas, Va.) — The American Battlefield Trust urged the Virginia Supreme Court to recject the appeal from the would-be developers of a massive data center complex alongside Manassas National Battlefield Park, saying the lower courts have clearly and unanimously determined the fast-tracked rezonings for the Prince William Digital Gateway project were illegal and should be void. 

The Trust, along with the Oak Valley Homeowners Association and local landowners, had challenged the rezoning, and the Virginia Court of Appeals on March 31 agreed with a lower court ruling that the Prince William County Board of Supervisors had violated state code and local ordinances when it failed to properly advertise the proposal or make its text available to the public before voting.

In the wake of the lower court rulings, the Board of Supervisors gave up its defense of the improper vote after squandering nearly $2 million in taxpayer dollars in legal fees. Another developer also declined further appeal. But developer QTS, in its solo appeal, seems to argue the sheer magnitude of the project “should overawe both its opponents and the legal notice requirements for a Virginia rezoning,” the Trust said its motion to the Supreme Court in response to QTS’s appeal.  

“QTS is fighting a losing battle and prolonging the inevitable. But since it insists on seeking the opinion of the Supreme Court of Virginia, we come armed with the fundamental resolve and strong legal defense that have sustained us through this yearslong battle to ensure this catastrophic complex will never see the light of day,”  said Trust President David Duncan.  

The Prince William Digital Gateway — with 37 proposed data center buildings, roughly the equivalent of 144 Walmart Supercenters — would require 14 on-site electrical substations for operation. These data centers would be expected to consume up to 9 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power over 2 million homes, and to stretch miles of high voltage transmission lines over the hallowed grounds and private homes of Prince William County.

However, the Virginia Court of Appeals, in addressing two parallel lawsuits, found the December 2023 rezoning vote should void due to improper public notice. The 4-3 vote came amid overwhelming public opposition by a lame-duck Board of Supervisors as the terms of two pro-data center members were about to expire.  

Since then, voters have elected Board members who had concerns about the impropriety of the process. And support for data centers in northern Virginia has waned substantially as communities reconsider the collateral damage to historic landscapes and the demand on water and electrical resources. A Washington Post-Schar School poll published in April showed voter support for new data centers in Virginia has plummeted, with 59% now opposed, compared to 24% in 2023.  

Manassas National Battlefield Park commemorates two critical battles of the American Civil War, the Battles of First and Second Manassas (a referred to as First and Second Bull Run). Together, the two battles resulted in nearly 27,000 casualties. While the presence of a national park demonstrates the significance of these battles, important historical events occurred beyond its modern boundaries, some of which are slated to be the site of the Prince William Digital Gateway. Additionally, the proposed complex threatens the remains of those who fell and were laid to rest in unknown, unmarked graves.  

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War across 160 sites in 25 states, including 387 acres at Manassas. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

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