Prologis Requests New Zoning, Higher Density for NoVA Data Center Development
By Nick Trombola July 18, 2024 6:28 pm
reprints
Prologis (PLD) wants to build more data centers, and DMV residents will never guess where.
The logistics giant — one of the largest real estate investment trusts in the nation — wants to rezone roughly 94 acres of land close to Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia, laying the foundation for a data center complex that could ultimately top 4 million square feet including the data centers already on the property, according to The Business Journal.
Prologis’ land encompasses three parcels, at 23700 Pebble Run Place, 23845 Erins Run Drive and 23965 Carters School Road, in Sterling, Va. The three parcels together currently house three data centers totaling 475,000 square feet, as well as a 220,000-square-foot warehouse complex dubbed Dulles Commerce Center. New zoning and density allowances for the site would allow Prologis to replace the warehouses with more data centers.
If Loudoun County supervisors choose not to approve the requested density changes, or if they do and Prologis decides not use them, the company “may repurpose the existing buildings or build anew” under any of the allowed uses under its newly requested zoning class, per the Business Journal. That includes anything from logistics centers to manufacturing sites, which it specializes in.
It’s not immediately clear when the county could make a decision regarding Prologis’ request. A representative for Prologis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Data centers have become a major focus for Prologis in recent months, with the company tapping Compass Datacenters founder Chris Curtis in March to lead its new $25 billion arm dedicated to their development.
Yet data center development has lately received a colder welcome in Virginia than in previous years. Lawmakers in Loudoun County began considering legislation earlier this year aimed at limiting where data centers can be built and what they can look like, as well as potentially requiring them to provide at least some of their own power on site rather than hooking up directly to the local power grid, per the Business Journal.
Nick Trombola can be reached at NTrombola@commercialobserver.com.
