J.E. Richards, Maker of Data Center Components, Signs Massive Northern Virginia Lease
The nearly 1 million-square-foot lease will bring 500 employees to 211 Centreport Parkway
By Mark Hallum September 14, 2026 2:23 pm
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A commercial electrical contractor and manufacturer based in the greater Washington, D.C., area has signed a massive industrial lease.
J.E. Richards, which makes data center components, took all 935,000 square feet at Flint Development’s 211 Centreport Parkway in Stafford, Va., representing the largest industrial lease ever transacted between the Metro D.C. and D.C.-Richmond corridors, according to landlord broker JLL. J.E. Richards will have up to 500 employees working away on data center components and other hardware at the property, which is also known as Capitol 95 Logistics. The lease term is 10 years.
JLL did not immediately disclose the asking rent, but the average industrial asking rent for Northern Virginia was $17.41 per square foot in the second quarter of 2026, according to a report from CBRE.
JLL’s John Dettleff negotiated on behalf of Flint Development, while Michael DiMeglio and Michael Isen of NAI Michael represented J.E. Richards in the transaction.
“Over the last year, we’ve seen a significant increase in large-scale industrial leasing activity across the Metro D.C. and D.C.-Richmond corridor markets, particularly for spaces of 250,000 square feet or more,” Dettleff said in a statement. “Increasingly, that demand is coming from companies supporting the data center industry, including manufacturers and other specialized users.”
The NAI Michael brokers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
J.E. Richards’ lease almost matches the total square footage leased in the industrial space across the market in the second quarter. Volume in the D.C.-Richmond market reached 1 million square feet as of the end of June, which was a 55 percent increase on a year-over-year basis, according to CBRE.
Other notable leases in Northern Virginia barely held a candle, with office supply firm Guernsey marking the largest deal of the second quarter with its 61,000-square-foot renewal of 45070 Old Ox Road in Dulles, Va.
“Centreport Parkway was once a prime location for regional distribution because of its combination of scale and proximity to Washington, D.C.,” Dettleff said. “Today, it has become main-on-main industrial space within one of the region’s newest data center markets.”
Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.
